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Promoted two months ago, Qin Gang is holding his first annual press conference as foreign minister at this year’s “two sessions”.

He picked up the baton passed by his predecessor Wang Yi, who held the position for nearly a decade and has been promoted to be director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission.

Qin is known as one of the toughest voices within the foreign ministry and became ambassador to the United States in July 2021 when China-US relations were at all-time low.

Observers says Qin gained President Xi Jinping’s trust by the way he made arrangements for Xi’s overseas trips.

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Reporting by Kinling Lo, Cyril Ip, Kawala Xie, Amber Wang, Laura Zhou, Zhao Ziwen and Shi Jiangtao