As I see it | China’s man in Washington: a veteran with the trust and training for turbulent US times

Name: China's ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy counterproductive, says former Australian PM Turnbull
Uploaded: 2020-09-22T13:00:13.000Z
Duration: 59 s
Description: China's ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy counterproductive, says former Australian PM Turnbull

Cui Tiankai is well past the retirement age of most people of his rank and says he never expected to remain in the position for so long

He has remained in place without resorting to Wolf Warrior tactics and by cultivating personal contacts in the White House

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Chinese ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai says he never expected to be in the job so long. Photo: Reuters

Shi Jiangtao

Published: 9:00pm, 22 Sep 2020Updated: 10:08pm, 22 Sep 2020

The sudden departure of the US ambassador to China Terry Branstad has prompted questions about the fate of his Chinese counterpart in Washington, Cui Tiankai.

Cui, who took up the position in April 2013, is already the country’s longest-serving ambassador to the United States. He is widely believed to be one of the few Chinese diplomats who has trust and respect from both Beijing and his host country, at a time when China and the US are locked in a race to the bottom.

Cui will turn 68 next month, long past the statutory retirement age of 65 for cabinet-level ministers and ambassadorships of similar protocol rank. Despite questions about his age and endless speculation about his retirement, several people with knowledge of the matter say Beijing has no immediate plan to replace the veteran diplomat.

“There is no word about his replacement,” a diplomatic source in Beijing said. “It’s about responsibility and he may not really have a choice here. After all, we are going through the biggest storm we’ve ever faced.”

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China's ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy counterproductive, says former Australian PM Turnbull

In an interview with former US treasury secretary Hank Paulson last month, Cui also indicated that he had not intended to keep the job for so long.

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As I see it | China’s man in Washington: a veteran with the trust and training for turbulent US times

Cui Tiankai is well past the retirement age of most people of his rank and says he never expected to remain in the position for so long He has remained in place without resorting to Wolf Warrior tactics and by cultivating personal contacts in the White House

Cui Tiankai is well past the retirement age of most people of his rank and says he never expected to remain in the position for so long

He has remained in place without resorting to Wolf Warrior tactics and by cultivating personal contacts in the White House