A report by the Wall Street Journal suggested that China would nominate Xie Feng, deputy foreign minister and specialist in American affairs, as its new ambassador to Washington.
The newspaper quoted people who said they were “informed” that Feng’s candidacy, if it happens, will be “a continuation of the gradual easing of the warrior wolf style that has characterized Chinese diplomacy in recent years.”
According to these people, whose identities the newspaper did not reveal, Beijing is resetting its foreign policy in an effort to stabilize fraught relations with Washington, mitigate the damage to China’s global standing through its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, and aggressively pursue security, industrial and regional interests. .
It quoted people working within the Chinese Foreign Ministry as saying that “the hardline spirit that took hold among Chinese diplomats during the Trump administration, when Beijing saw itself under attack from the West, needs to be modified to reflect a changing international environment.”
This shift is beginning to show in recent and upcoming foreign policy appointments, which have placed seasoned diplomats – known for their ability to balance conflict with friendliness – in key positions managing Beijing’s foreign relations, according to the newspaper.
Xie, 58, is seen by both his colleagues and foreign counterparts as a constant conduit between China and the United States, says the Wall Street Journal.
He helped arrange a high-profile summit between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and President Biden in November, and worked on the complex negotiations for a 2021 prisoner swap that saw China release two Canadian citizens in return for American efforts to hand over a well-connected Chinese executive held in Canada.
Although the decision to appoint Xie as envoy to the United States has not been formalized, the paper says there are no other strong candidates, people familiar with the matter said.
Beijing will need to submit Xie’s name for Washington’s approval before he can be formally appointed.
Some foreign policy analysts say the appointments represent a tactical shift by Beijing, rather than a complete shift from Xi’s “menacing” style.
Xi has returned to the world stage in recent months following more than two years of self-imposed isolation under China’s strict controls over the epidemic – as Beijing’s relations with Western powers and some Asian neighbors have soured over issues including trade, technological competition, human rights and territorial disputes.
In recent days, for example, the Chinese authorities have suspended the issuance of short-term visas to South Korean and Japanese nationals in response to travel restrictions imposed by those countries on travelers from China to curb the spread of Covid-19.
A seasoned diplomat, Xie is well acquainted with Western officials from his previous roles working with US and North American affairs, including two stints at the Chinese embassy in Washington.
He served as China’s envoy to Indonesia and the foreign ministry’s top representative in Hong Kong before being promoted to deputy foreign minister in 2021.
He also spent time as an exchange associate at North Carolina State in 1999.