Leading face of Chinese diplomacy gets enhanced UN role to help Beijing win over world
- Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang will take up public outreach role at New York-based mission, which has been upgraded to ambassador status
- Diplomat shuns the aggressive ‘wolf warrior’ style favoured by some of his peers and new posting is described as ‘tailor-made’ for him
Beijing has given one of the most visible faces of Chinese diplomacy a key role at the mission to the United Nations as Beijing seeks to expand its international influence.
Geng Shuang, currently a spokesman for the foreign ministry, will move to New York to take up the role as deputy permanent representative in charge of overall public outreach and press strategies.
Geng, 47, will hold the rank of ambassador – the highest rung on the diplomatic ladder – in a role that was previously carried the rank of counsellor.
A diplomatic source said the upgrade reflected the need for China to rise to the challenges it faced in international institutions.
“The mission [to the UN] lacks a candidate like Geng who has experience in both multilateral and public diplomacy. This role is tailor-made for him,” said the source who requested anonymity.