Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang to take over US and Canada affairs office
- Diplomat made headlines when he said the Hong Kong handover deal with Britain was now void
- His new job as head of North America and Oceania office may pave the way for a future posting to Washington as an ambassador
A senior Chinese foreign ministry spokesman has been tipped by diplomatic sources to take over as head of policy towards the US and Canada as part of a generational reshuffling of officials.
The sources said Lu Kang, the director of the ministry’s information department, was expected to succeed Cong Peiwu, the current head of North America and Oceania affairs, “very soon”.
Lu told a regular press conference on Thursday he would step down as the head of the ministry’s information department without elaborating further.
The 51-year-old will face a tough challenge in the role, with issues such as trade, technology, security and geopolitics among his main areas of responsibility.
The appointment may also indicate the diplomat’s future career path, with a posting as China’s ambassador to Washington possibly in the cards.
Recent precedents for this advancement include the career trajectory of Yang Jiechi, currently the country’s highest ranking diplomat, who also led the North American and Oceania affairs department before becoming a foreign vice-minister and then Chinese ambassador to the US between 2001 and 2005.
Lu became the head of information department in April 2015 following a stint as a minister at the embassy in Washington.
On Wednesday, President Xi Jinping met a number of Chinese envoys at a work conference in Beijing and urged them to carry out their duties with “great determination”, according to the foreign ministry.
Chinese Foreign Ministry hits back against US report questioning Beijing’s commitment to Hong Kong rule of law
“The Sino-British Joint Declaration, as a historical document, no longer has any realistic meaning,” Lu said in response to Washington’s and London’s critical comments on Hong Kong’s political condition.
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