China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Wan Yi will be holding meetings in Jamaica today (January 20) with a number of state officials. This is a significant trip and signals the bond between the two countries.

He is a senior and trusted member of the President Xi Jinping administration and well regarded for his diplomatic skills and vast knowledge of international affairs.

Our Today uncovered some info on the career of Wang Yi

• He was born on the 19th of October, 1953 in Beijing, China and is of Han ethnicity. He completed high school in 1969.
• He served in the Northeast Construction Army Corps in Heilongjiang Province for 8 years.
• Attended Beijing International Studies University in 1977, enrolling in the department of Asian and African languages.
• Studied Japanese, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in February 1982. He is fluent in both Japanese and English.
• Joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in May 1981.
• Began his career as a diplomat at the Asian sector of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1982
• Sent to the Chinese Embassy in Japan in 1989 where he served for 5 years
• In 1999 Wang Yi studied International Relations at China Foreign Affairs University obtaining a doctoral degree. He holds a Masters in Economics.

• In 2004, he was appointed China’s Ambassador to Japan
• The year 2013 saw him appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Promoted to State Councillor in 2018.
• Notable quote. Interviewed by Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Affairs in 2021, Wan Yi said: “ China is committed to a path of peaceful development, one that underlines peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation with countries around the world. China never seeks global hegemony. China will blaze a path of peaceful rise distinct from the trajectory of traditional powers. The wisdom from China’s millennia of history teaches that countries going after hegemony are bound to fail and that not all countries fight for hegemony when they grow stronger. China pursues development and rejuvenation through its own hard work, instead of aggression or expansion. In everything we do in China, we do it for a better life for the Chinese people, rather than replace or outcompete anyone.”
• Became a Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in October 2022
• January 2023 saw Wan Yi appointed Director of the Office of the Central Commission For Foreign Affairs .
• Reinstated as Foreign Minister in July 2023.
• A quote Jamaicans should heed. Last year Wan Yi said: “ No matter how blonde you dye your hair, how sharp you shape your nose, you can never become a European or American. You can never become a Westerner. You must know where your roots lie.”