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China's new ambassador to Pakistan is not from its Foreign Ministry but a Communist Party official-specifically, from United Front Work Department. This link works http://www.ce.cn/xwzx/gnsz/gdxw/202009/11/t20200911_35726375.shtml
This isn't unusual by China's South Asian standards but is certainly an interesting trend https://twitter.com/StellaHongZhang/status/1304360914833924098
This isn't unusual by China's South Asian standards but is certainly an interesting trend https://twitter.com/StellaHongZhang/status/1304360914833924098
The new appointee Nong Rong is from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Both the previous Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh, Zhang Zuo and his successor Li Jiming are from Yunnan. The former spent his entire career in the province before moving to Dhaka http://bd.china-embassy.org/eng/sgxx/dsxx/
The most prominent appointee and the one that set off this trend as far as I know at least in recent times is Cheng Xueyuan, Chinese ambassador to Sri Lanka http://lk.china-embassy.org/eng/ambassador/Biography/t940400.htm
- a Guangdong native who had spent his working life in the province before moving to Colombo
- a Guangdong native who had spent his working life in the province before moving to Colombo
The United Front has more power in the Chinese system than the Foreign Ministry and the appointment specifically of UFWD officials to ambassadorial positions in South Asia indicates the seriousness with which China views its foreign policy in the region.
The UFWD aims to influence pol, econ and intellectual elites in other countries and is less chary about interfering in their domestic affairs. Expect still greater stress on issues like BRI, Xi Jinping Thought, and a general undermining of Indian influence in South Asia
