Outspoken diplomat Hua Chunying, who has been leading the Chinese foreign ministry’s press department, has been promoted to vice-minister, Beijing announced on Monday. Following her promotion, Hua Chunying, 54, who has served as a foreign ministry spokeswoman since 2012, is now the youngest of the five foreign vice-ministers and the only woman in this group.
Hua is well-known for her activity on X (formerly Twitter), where she has garnered over 2.5 million followers. Her posts frequently criticise the United States and compare China with the US, often serving as material for pro-China users to propagate anti-US sentiments.
With the worsening of US-China relations in recent years, Hua has been vocal in her criticism of US policies, including those related to the Israel-Gaza conflict. Last month, she posted several photos and video screenshots condemning what appeared to be a US police crackdown on large-scale campus protests against US support for Israel.
Hua Chunying was promoted to assistant foreign minister and director general of the ministry’s press department in 2021. According to the foreign ministry’s website, she continues to lead the press department, though it remains uncertain if she will retain this role following her recent promotion. Hua is considered a key figure in China’s Wolf Warrior diplomacy, particularly evident during the Covid-19 pandemic when she called for an investigation into the US lab at Fort Detrick, Maryland, in response to the Trump administration’s claims that the virus originated from a lab in Wuhan.
