Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Of The People's Republic Of China
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China is the first-ranked executive department of the
State Council of China The State Council of the People's Republic of China, also known as the Central People's Government, is the chief administrative authority and national cabinet. It is constitutionally the highest administrative organ of the country and the e ...
, responsible for the country's foreign relations. It is led by the
minister of foreign affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...
, currently Wang Yi, who serves as the nation's principal representative abroad. The ministry is headquartered in Chaoyang, Beijing, the country's primary diplomatic quarter. The MFA's primary functions include formulating
foreign policy Foreign policy, also known as external policy, is the set of strategies and actions a State (polity), state employs in its interactions with other states, unions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, includ ...
, administering the nation's
diplomatic mission A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually denotes ...
s, representing Chinese interests at the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
, negotiating foreign treaties and agreements, and advising the State Council on foreign affairs. The Ministry is subordinate to the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, which decides on policy-making and led by
General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party The general secretary of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party ( zh, s=中国共产党中央委员会总书记, p=Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng Zhōngyāng Wěiyuánhuì Zǒngshūjì) is the leader of the Chinese Communist Part ...
. Foreign policies concerning the
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
fall under the jurisdiction of the Taiwan Affairs Office. , the ministry maintains the largest diplomatic network in the world, with 274 diplomatic posts.


History


Early People's Republic

Before the
proclamation of the People's Republic of China The proclamation of the People's Republic of China was made by Mao Zedong, the chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), on October 1, 1949, in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The government of a new state under the CCP, formally called ...
, the
Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
(CCP) handled foreign relations through its Foreign Affairs Group, established on 1 May 1947. The Foreign Affairs Group was abolished on 30 September 1949, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Central People's Government was established on 1 October 1949, the day of the PRC's proclamation.
Zhou Enlai Zhou Enlai ( zh, s=周恩来, p=Zhōu Ēnlái, w=Chou1 Ên1-lai2; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman, diplomat, and revolutionary who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China from September 1954 unti ...
, also appointed as premier, became the first foreign minister of the PRC. The ministry was formally inaugurated by Zhou on 8 November 1949. The Ministry initially had 170 staff, a number which increased to nearly 2,000 by 1960. Of the 17 ambassadors appointed abroad between October 1949 and 1952, twelve were senior military officials, nine were survivors of the Long March and only three had previously been abroad. Additionally, the new Ministry did not recruit former diplomats from the
Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...
that opted to stay in the PRC, instead creating a new diplomatic corps entirely. The MFA of the PRC was established in September 1954, after the first meeting of the
National People's Congress The National People's Congress (NPC) is the highest organ of state power of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The NPC is the only branch of government in China, and per the principle of unified power, all state organs from the Sta ...
, and became a department of the State Council. The Ministry's importance to China's foreign policy apparatus has increased and decreased over time. In 1956, as China's diplomat engagement increased, a West Asian and African Affairs was established; previously Western European and African affairs were handled by the same department. During this period, Zhou oversaw the professionalization and formalization of the Ministry, including establishing standard operating procedures on areas such as the Ministry's official responsibilities and training guidelines. The Ministry was hit by the Anti-Rightist Campaign, launched by
Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...
in 1957 after the Hundred Flowers Campaign, with its quota for finding "rightists" being around 5 percent. On 11 February 1958, Chen Yi succeeded Zhou as foreign minister.


Cultural Revolution

The Ministry personnel initially paid little attention to the
Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...
when it was launched in 1966, launching a few political study sessions. However, the movement gradually caught the Ministry's attention and after Mao received a letter from a member of the Communist Party of Austria complaining about the conduct and extravagance of Chinese diplomats in the country, he instructed Chen, writing, " volutionize or there will be danger". This prompted Chen to instruct reforms to diplomatic protocols, and diplomatic mission abroad were required to promote Mao Zedong Thought, wear Mao suits and
Chairman Mao badge Chairman Mao badge () is the name given to a type of Badge, pin badge displaying an image of Mao Zedong that was ubiquitous in the People's Republic of China during the active phase of the Cultural Revolution, from 1966 to 1971. The term is also ...
s and intensify political study sessions. The rebels within the Ministry established the "Foreign Ministry Revolutionary Rebel Station" later in 1966 and stated their intention to overthrow the CCP committee in the Ministry. The Ministry started recalling personnel overseas back into Beijing in 1967 to take part in the Cultural Revolution, causing immense strains in China's diplomatic corps. The rebel groups attempted to take in the Ministry in August 1967, paralyzing the Ministry's Political Department for two weeks. Many of China's diplomats were sent to May Seventh Cadre Schools after their establishment in 1968 until their disestablishment in 1971. After Mao decided to restore order in the country in late 1968, Zhou started to plan bringing back normality to the Ministry, and some diplomats started to return abroad in late 1969. The Ministry-affiliated Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs was also re-activated. By 1971, with the admission of the PRC into the United Nations, the country's diplomacy began to normalize. However, the Ministry was increasingly factionalized, especially between the "Lord Qiao", associates of Qiao Guanhua, and "young girl", referring to Mao's close associates Wang Hairong and Tang Wensheng, factions. Chen Yi died on 6 January 1972, and was succeeded by Ji Pengfei as foreign minister.


Deng era

After Mao's death and the fall of the Gang of Four in 1976, Qiao was purged and succeeded by Huang Hua. After
Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping also Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Teng Hsiao-p'ing; born Xiansheng (). (22 August 190419 February 1997) was a Chinese statesman, revolutionary, and political theorist who served as the paramount leader of the People's R ...
's rise to power, diplomatic missions abroad were instructed to focus on Four Modernizations campaign. In 1982,
Hu Yaobang Hu Yaobang (20 November 1915 – 15 April 1989) was a Chinese politician who was a high-ranking official of the People's Republic of China. He held the Leader of the Chinese Communist Party, top office of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from ...
, then leader of the CCP, called a meeting with senior diplomats to demand the "rectification" of the Ministry, focusing on making it less ideological. The Ministry was also reformed to improve professionalism and efficiency; the number of vice ministers was reduced from ten to six in 1982, and diplomats below the rank of vice minister were automatically retired after becoming older than the age of sixty since 1983. Professional diplomats were preferred over and increasingly replaced the old military veterans. Wages were also reformed, rewarding those with higher ranks and boosting incomes of diplomats abroad. Wage and bureaucratic reforms continued during the 1990s, with many diplomatic missions cutting staff and starting to employ locals. Job descriptions were also clarified, and the promotion system standardized.


21st century

As China's engagement with the world increased, the ministry established the Department of External Security Affairs in 2004, with its function being protecting citizens abroad. It furthermore established the Center for Consular Protection in 2007. China's rising stature also meant that the ministry worked together and sometimes competed with other institutions while conducting diplomacy, including the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Public Security, and various state-owned enterprises. The Ministry's significance in China's foreign policy establishment has increased since 2009 and it has a higher profile both domestically and internationally. From 2011 to 2018, its diplomatic budget doubled. The Ministry has become increasingly visible to foreign audiences since the proliferation of its Twitter accounts and its diplomats' increased social media activity since 2019. While previously China's embassies were subject to influence by various ministries, after 2019 reforms, the Ministry has veto power over financial and personnel decisions at Chinese embassies. In October 2022, it was reported that the MFA asked
consular missions in Hong Kong As of May 2024, there are 70 diplomatic missions in Hong Kong, of which 62 are Consul (representative), consulates-general and 8 are officially recognised bodies in Hong Kong. As Hong Kong has the status of a Special Administrative Region of th ...
about their floor plans, lease details, and staff residences, and also asked to inspect new premises before staff enter them. In September 2023, the
United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...
accused the MFA of information laundering by using a fictitious opinion
columnist A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (periodical), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the ...
named "Yi Fan" to present state narratives as "organic sentiment".


Organization

The ministry is headed by the
minister of foreign affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...
, who is appointed by the National People's Congress or its
Standing Committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly or other form of organization. A committee may not itself be considered to be a form of assembly or a decision-making body. Usually, an assembly o ...
after a nomination by the
premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...
. The ministry leads the work of diplomatic missions of China abroad, the largest in the world with 274 diplomatic posts. More specifically, it includes 173 embassies, 91 consulates, 8 permanent missions and 2 other representations.


Departments

The ministry consists of 29 individual offices, including departments responsible for specific regions, policy areas, as well as administration of the Ministry itself. Each office is headed by a director-general with at least two deputy directors-general. The offices are: * The General Office (办公厅): Circulates communications within the Ministry, manages information technology systems, and coordinates with foreign parties in response to crises. * The Department of Policy Planning (政策规划司): Responsible for research, analysis, and policy formulation related to international affairs. Writes speeches and other major foreign policy documents. Conducts work relevant to Chinese diplomatic history. * The Department of Asian Affairs (亚洲司) * The Department of West Asian and North African Affairs (西亚北非司) * The Department of African Affairs (非洲司) * The Department of European-Central Asian Affairs (欧亚司) * The Department of European Affairs (欧洲司) * The Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs (北美大洋洲司) * The Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs (拉丁美洲司) * The Department of International Organizations and Conferences (国际司) * The Department of International Economic Affairs (国际经济司) * The Department of Arms Control (军控司) * The Department of Treaty and Law (条约法律司) * The Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs (边界与海洋事务司) * The Department of Press, Communication and Public Diplomacy (新闻司): Manages press relations and public presentation of Chinese foreign policy. Headed by spokeswoman Mao Ning. * The Protocol Department (礼宾司): Handles matters related to protocol in diplomatic events and ceremonies. * The Department of Consular Affairs (领事司) * The Department of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs (港澳台司) * The Department of Translation and Interpretation (翻译司): Manages and provides training for interpretation and translation work in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese at international events and for state diplomatic events and documents. Regional departments are responsible for general translation and interpretation work within their respective regions. * The Department of Foreign Affairs Management (外事管理司): Drafts and oversees regulations related to foreign affairs for sub-national entities such as local governments, state-owned enterprises, and other bodies of the State Council. * The Department of External Security Affairs (涉外安全事务司) * The Department of Personnel (干部司) * The Bureau for Retired Personnel (离退休干部局) * The Administrative Department (行政司): Oversees planning, construction, real estate, valuable assets (antiques and artifacts), housing, infrastructure, and overall management in overseas missions. * The Department of Finance (财务司) * The Department for Diplomatic Missions Abroad (国外工作局) and the Department for Party-related Affairs (机关委员会): one institution with two names * Office of Leading Group for Conducting Inspections in the Foreign Ministry (外交部巡视工作领导小组办公室): Overseas disciplinary investigations and policy in accordance with
Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
regulations. * The Bureau of Archives (档案馆) * The Department of Services for Foreign Ministry Home and Overseas Offices (服务局): Oversees logistics for diplomatic missions abroad. The ministry maintains Commissioner Offices in the special administrative regions (SAR) of
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
and
Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...
, which handle the foreign affairs of the SARs. The ministry also operates the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA) for "people-to-people" diplomatic activities, and jointly administers the China Foreign Affairs University together with the Ministry of Education. The ministry is also involved in the
foreign aid In international relations, aid (also known as international aid, overseas aid, foreign aid, economic aid or foreign assistance) is – from the perspective of governments – a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another. The ...
process through administering humanitarian assistance China provides.


Personnel

The ministry has over 5,000 diplomats and support personnel as of at least 2024. From its outset, the ministry has required that its diplomats operate in pairs, although enforcement of the rule has varied over time. Inside embassies and consulates, CCP branch organizations monitor the behavior of diplomats. Ministry personnel are typically graduates of well-regarded Beijing and Shanghai universities, mostly
Peking University Peking University (PKU) is a Public university, public Types of universities and colleges in China#By designated academic emphasis, university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of the Peop ...
, Tsinghua University, China Foreign Affairs University, and Beijing Foreign Studies University. Political loyalty remains the ministry's most important criterion in selecting recruits. Following the passage of the People's Republic of China Diplomatic Missions in Foreign Countries Act, the minimum age for diplomats posted overseas was raised from 18 to 23.


Headquarters

In 1966, the ministry moved its headquarters to a set of buildings in the Dongjiaomin Lane, East of the
Forbidden City The Forbidden City () is the Chinese Empire, imperial Chinese palace, palace complex in the center of the Imperial City, Beijing, Imperial City in Beijing, China. It was the residence of 24 Ming dynasty, Ming and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasty L ...
, after an earthquake damaged the old building. The ministry got its current headquarters in 1997, which is located in Chaoyang District,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
, the country's primary diplomatic quarter.Home
. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. Retrieved October 27, 2010. "Contact us Address: No. 2, Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100701 Tel:86-10-65961114."


See also

* Ambassadors of China *
Ministries of the People's Republic of China The constituent departments of the State Council () are the principal units of State Council of China, State Council of the People's Republic of China. Types of departments include ministries (), commissions (), the People's Bank of China, and the ...
*
List of Foreign Ministry Spokespersons of the People's Republic of China This article lists the 35 Spokespersons of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China since 1976. The current spokespersons are Mao Ning (diplomat), Mao Ning, Lin Jian and Guo Jiakun. List of Spokespersons References< ...


References


Citations


Sources

* * * *


External links

* {{authority control Foreign relations of China
Foreign Affairs ''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit organization, nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership or ...
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
Chaoyang District, Beijing People's Republic of China diplomacy