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Former Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang set to be named ambassador to Indonesia
- The 53-year-old recently stepped down as head of the department for North American affairs and is tipped to be posted to Jakarta
- He won praise for his handling of an English-language interview with the US network NBC but some feel his ‘old school’ approach may slow his advance
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Lu Kang, a rising star in the new generation of Chinese diplomats, is slated to become China’s ambassador to Indonesia, according to sources familiar with the situation.
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The former foreign ministry spokesman recently stepped down as head of the ministry’s department for North American affairs after 2½ years in the job. He is expected to take up the posting to Indonesia soon
Lu, 53, a stern-faced diplomat with a buzz cut, became known for his terse yet firm responses to challenging questions when he was the ministry’s spokesman and head of the information department from 2015 to 2019.
His experience also includes a posting to the embassy in Washington and work on arms control. He recently attended the Central Party School, the exclusive training ground for promising cadres.
In a rare interview with American broadcaster NBC in 2017 soon after Donald Trump took office, Lu was questioned about sensitive topics such as the South China Sea and the looming trade war with the US. He also conducted the interview entirely in English, a rare practice for home-based Chinese diplomats.
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“The interview showed his firmness and flexibility. It was conducted at a very crucial time when Trump had begun a strategy of escalating pressure on China on Taiwan and other issues which, according to analysts, was calculated to maximise bargaining power in negotiations with Beijing. And Lu … delivered the unmistakable message – that the issue of Taiwan and the one-China principle was ‘non-negotiable’,” said a person with knowledge of the arrangements for the interview.
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