Wang Yi

Wang Yi (Chinese: 王毅; pinyin: Wáng Yì; born 19 October 1953) is a Chinese diplomat and politician who is the Director of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission Office and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Born in Beijing, Wang studied Japanese at the Beijing International Studies University. He joined the Asian section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after his graduation. In 1989, he was sent to the Chinese embassy in Japan and served there for five years. From 1997 to 1998, Wang was a visiting scholar at the Georgetown University in the United States. After his return, he became assistant minister and the director of office of policy research. In 2001, Wang was elevated to Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in charge of Asian affairs. From 2004 to 2007, he served as the Chinese ambassador to Japan.

Wang served as the Director of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office from 2008 to 2013. In 2013, Wang was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. From 2018 to 2023, he also served as a State Councilor of China. In 2022, he became a member of the CCP Politburo, and was succeed succeeded by Qin Gang as foreign minister. In 2023, after Qin Gang's removal, Wang Yi was reappointed as foreign minister.

Wang was born in Beijing. After graduating from high school in September 1969, he was sent down to Northeast China. He subsequently served in the Northeast Construction Army Corps in Heilongjiang Province for eight years.

In December 1977, Wang returned to Beijing and in the same year was enrolled in the department of Asian and African Languages of Beijing International Studies University. He studied Japanese at the institution, graduating in February 1982 with a bachelor's degree. He is known to speak fluent English and Japanese.

Wang is married and has one daughter. His wife, Qian Wei, is the daughter of Qian Jiadong [zh], a former diplomatic secretary to Premier Zhou Enlai.

Upon graduation from university, Wang was sent to the Asian section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by his father-in-law Qian Jiadong, where he began his career as a diplomat. In September 1989, he was sent to the Chinese embassy in Japan and served there for five years. When he returned to China in March 1994, Wang was appointed as vice section chief of the Asian section of the foreign ministry and was promoted to section chief the next year. For his work in the section he received distinction as an outstanding communist party member. From August 1997 to February 1998, Wang was a visiting scholar at the Institute of Foreign Relations of Georgetown University in the United States. Soon after his return, he was promoted to assistant minister and the director of office of policy research. From September 1999, Wang studied international relations at China Foreign Affairs University and obtained a doctoral degree. In February 2001, Wang was elevated to Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, in charge of Asian affairs. This series of promotions made him consistently among the youngest officials at his level.

In September 2004, Wang was appointed as China's Ambassador to Japan. He served in this post until September 2007. In June 2008, Wang succeeded Chen Yunlin as the director of Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China. One attendee stated that his speech upon receiving this post celebrated the party as the center of the ministry of foreign affairs and referred to Zhou Enlai's founding of the institution.