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Wang Wenbin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In this Chinese name, the family name is Wang.

Wang Wenbin
汪文斌
Wang Wenbin interviewed while as Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia, 2024
Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia
Incumbent
Assumed office
5 July 2024
PresidentXi Jinping
Preceded byWang Wentian
Deputy Director of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In office
July 2020 – 7 June 2024
Serving with Mao Ning, Hu Jian, Lin Jian, Jiang Xiaoyan
DirectorHua Chunying
Preceded byGeng Shuang
Chinese Ambassador to Tunisia
In office
May 2018 – June 2020
Preceded byBian Yanhua
Succeeded byZhang Jianguo
Personal details
BornApril 1971 (age 53)
Tongcheng, Anhui, China
Political partyChinese Communist Party
Children1
Alma materChina Foreign Affairs University (BA)

Wang Wenbin (Chinese: 汪文斌; pinyin: Wāng Wénbīn; born April 1971) is a Chinese politician and diplomat who currently serves as the Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia.[1] He was formerly a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, deputy director of the Foreign Ministry Information Department, and currently a member of the Chinese Communist Party. He is the 32nd spokesperson since the position was established in the ministry back in 1983. He served as the Chinese Ambassador to Tunisia from 2018 to 2020, and has worked in Chinese embassies in Mauritius and Senegal.[2]

Wang is known as a wolf warrior diplomat for his defense of the Chinese government and his opposition to criticism of it.[3] As a spokesman of the Chinese foreign ministry, he rejected the United States' claim that the Taiwan Strait is international waters[4] and was known for his controversial statements on the South China Sea dispute.[5][6][7]

Biography

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Wang was born in Anhui, China in April 1971. He attended Nanjing Jinling High School.[8] In 1989 he entered China Foreign Affairs University, where he majored in French. After graduation, he was assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He served in various diplomatic positions including deputy director and director of the Policy Research Office, political counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of Mauritius, counsellor of the Department of Policy Planning, and deputy director of the Department of Policy Planning. He was designated by 13th Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in May 2018 to replace Bian Yanhua as Ambassador to Tunisia. On 17 July 2020, he was appointed the spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry, succeeding Geng Shuang.[2]

On 24 May 2024, on his press briefing at the foreign ministry, he ended the session with his "farewell" to the position.[3] On 4 June 2024, Wang was assigned as the Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia as confirmed by the China International Development Cooperation Agency.[1] He was appointed as ambassador on 5 July.[9]

Official statements

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In February 2021, Wang called Uyghur genocide the "lie of the century".[10][11] In September 2022, he described the UN report about the genocide as "completely illegal", stating that it is a "patchwork of disinformation" by the U.S. and Western forces to "contain China".[12][13]

After a resolution about disqualifying lawmakers who support Hong Kong independence was passed, in November 2020, four lawmakers were dismissed. Wang stated their disqualification is "rational, reasonable and in line with the constitution and laws".[14] In December 2022, he said that Beijing supported the "resolute defence of the national anthem’s dignity," in reference to Glory to Hong Kong being highly ranked on Google when searching for the national anthem of Hong Kong.[15]

In February 2023, in response to the 2023 Chinese balloon incident, Wang said that "Since last year alone, US balloons have illegally flown above China more than 10 times without any approval from Chinese authorities."[16]

South China Sea dispute

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In March 2024, Wang Wenbin told Seoul's government to not interfere with the South China Sea dispute after South Korea's concerns over the collision of Chinese and Filipino coastguard vessels on Second Thomas Shoal.[7] On the same month, the Philippines expelled Chinese diplomats over an alleged leaked telephone call with a Filipino admiral about the South China Sea. As a response, Wang later made an official statement calling these actions "provocations" on the dispute.[17]

On 1 April 2024, he stated that the Philippines' policies on the South China Sea will not affect their maritime rights and China's sovereignty. This statement was made after Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. ordered his government to strengthen the country's maritime security.[5]

Personal life

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Wang is married and has a daughter.[18]

Due to his personality as a diplomat, he gained a huge following on Chinese social media and several forums referred to him as "Uncle Wang".[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b "China taps 'wolf warrior' diplomat as Cambodia ambassador". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b Yu Xiaoqing (于潇清) (17 July 2020). 外交部新发言人汪文斌：投身外交近三十年后回归新闻司. thepaper.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "China's 'wolf warrior' diplomat to take up post in Cambodia". Radio Free Asia. 6 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  4. ^ "China insists it has sovereign rights over Taiwan Strait". South China Morning Post. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Philippines to boost diplomacy and defence capability as South China Sea 'countermeasures'". Reuters. 1 April 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  6. ^ Shepherd, Tory (18 July 2022). "'Abusing China's restraint': Beijing accuses Australia of provocation at sea". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Beijing warns South Korea to 'watch yourself' after remarks on South China Sea". South China Morning Post. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  8. ^ Huang Huan (黄欢); Hu Anjing (胡安静); Fan Jiexun (范杰逊) (17 July 2020). 外交部新任发言人是金陵中学校友，班主任：他做事沉稳非常自律. xhby.net (in Chinese). Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  9. ^ "Chinese president appoints new ambassadors". Xinhua News Agency. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  10. ^ Westcott, Ben; Wright, Rebecca (9 March 2021). "First independent report into Xinjiang genocide allegations claims evidence of Beijing's 'intent to destroy' Uyghur people". CNN. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  11. ^ Griffiths, James (17 April 2021). "From cover-up to propaganda blitz: China's attempts to control the narrative on Xinjiang". CNN. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  12. ^ "UN Urged to Act on China's Reported Rights Violations in Xinjiang". Voice of America. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  13. ^ "Beijing taps into anti-West resentment to counter UN report". AP News. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers resign after China ruling". BBC News. 11 November 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  15. ^ "Hong Kong may stop buying Google adverts unless national anthem row is resolved". South China Morning Post. 17 December 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  16. ^ "China says US balloons entered airspace 'more than 10 times' since 2022". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  17. ^ "China renews call for Philippines to stop 'provocations' over South China Sea". ABS-CBN News. 17 May 2024.
  18. ^ Zhou Jingwei (周经纬) (17 July 2020). 外交部新任发言人汪文斌正式亮相，华春莹这样介绍他. Beijing Daily (in Chinese). Retrieved 18 July 2020.
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  • Wang Wenbin on the Official website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Bian Yanhua (边燕花)
 Chinese Ambassador to Tunisia
2018–2020 		Succeeded by
Zhang Jianguo (张建国)
Preceded by Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia
2024–present 		Incumbent
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