Mao Ning (; born 1972) is a Chinese civil servant and diplomat who has been serving as

spokesperson A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman, is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others. Duties and function In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...

and deputy director of information at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China since September 2022. Mao is the 33rd spokesperson since the position was established in the ministry back in 1983. Prior to being appointed spokesperson in 2022, she has engaged in diplomatic work for 27 years and mainly worked in Asian affairs.

Early life and education

Mao Ning was born in

Xiangtan Xiangtan () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Hunan province, south-central China. The hometowns of several founding leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, including Chairman Mao Zedong, President Liu Shaoqi, and Marshal Peng Dehuai, a ...

Hunan Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi ...

province in 1972. It was reported that she is from the same clan of

Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...

according to the genealogy book. Mao received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

with a major in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

from

Hunan Normal University Hunan Normal University (), founded in 1938, is a public university in Changsha, Hunan Province. The university is the 211 Project university, one of the country's 100 national key universities in the 21st century that enjoy priority in obtain ...

in 1993, a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...

with a major in

diplomacy Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. ...

from

China Foreign Affairs University China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU; ) is a public university for diplomats located in Beijing, China. It is jointly administrated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education. It is a Chinese state Double First Class Un ...

in 1995, and a Master of International Policy and Practice from

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress, GWU is the largest Higher educat ...

in 2006.

Career

Mao joined the Foreign Service in August 1995 and has served primarily in the Asia Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She was deputy secretary-general of the

Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) is an international organization established with a vision to promote ''Lasting Peace, Common Prosperity, and Shared Culture'' among China, Japan, and South Korea. Upon the agreement signed and ratifie ...

in May 2011, and held that office until May 2013, when she was appointed counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the United States. She was recalled to the original department in November 2015, and was eventually promoted to deputy director in November 2017. She was chosen as vice mayor of

Leshan Leshan, formerly known as Jiading or Jiazhou, is a prefecture-level city located at the confluence of the Dadu and Min rivers in Sichuan Province, China. Leshan is located on the southwestern fringe of the Sichuan Basin in southern Sichuan, abou ...

in June 2020 and was admitted to member of the Standing Committee of the CCP Leshan Municipal Committee, the city's top authority. On 5 September 2022, she became a spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry. In January 2023, after some countries imposed PCR testing on those flying from China, Mao said "This lacks scientific basis and some practices are unacceptable" and China could "take countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mao, Ning 1972 births Living people People from Xiangtan Hunan Normal University alumni China Foreign Affairs University alumni George Washington University alumni Central Party School of the Chinese Communist Party alumni People's Republic of China politicians from Hunan Chinese Communist Party politicians from Hunan Spokespersons for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China Political office-holders in Sichuan Chinese expatriates in the United States