Chinese diplomat Zhao Lijian assigned to senior foreign ministry post

BEIJING: Zhao Lijian, one of Beijing’s most active and outspoken diplomats and former deputy chief of mission at the Chinese embassy in Pakistan has become the deputy head of the Foreign Ministry’s information department.

Zhao, who recently left his position as deputy chief of mission in Pakistan, has been handed a senior role in China’s foreign ministry.

He has made a name for himself for using Twitter to directly confront critics of the Chinese government.

The diplomat, who is known for his Twitter outbursts, now serves as deputy director general of the foreign ministry’s information department.

In his new role, Zhao serves directly beneath the ministry’s newly made director general, Hua Chunying, and alongside fellow deputies Geng Shuang and Yu Dunhai