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| budget =
| minister1_name = [[Wang Yi (politician)|Wang Yi]]
| minister1_pfo = [[Minister of Foreign Affairs
| deputyminister1_name = [[Ma Zhaoxu]]
| deputyminister1_pfo = Executive Vice Minister
| deputyminister2_name = [[Deng Li]]
| deputyminister3_name = [[Sun Weidong]]
| deputyminister4_name = [[Chen Xiaodong (diplomat)|Chen Xiaodong]]
| deputyminister5_name = [[Hua Chunying]]
| chief1_name = [[Qi Yu]]
| chief1_position = [[Party Committee Secretary]] (ministerial-level)
| chief2_name =
| chief2_position =
| chief3_name =
| chief3_position =
| agency_type = [[Ministries of the People's Republic of China|Constituent Department of the State Council]] (cabinet-level executive department)
| parent_agency = [[State Council of the People's Republic of China|State Council]]
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}}{{Politics of China |expanded = Foreign }}
The '''Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China''' is the first-ranked [[Ministries of the People's Republic of China|executive department]] of the [[State Council of the People's Republic of China]], responsible for the country's [[Foreign relations of China|foreign relations]]. It is led by the [[Minister of Foreign Affairs
The MFA's primary functions include formulating [[Foreign policy of China|foreign policy]], administering the nation's [[Diplomatic mission|diplomatic missions]], representing Chinese interests at the [[United Nations]], negotiating foreign treaties and agreements, and advising the State Council on foreign affairs. The Ministry is subordinate to the [[Central Foreign Affairs Commission]], which decides on policy-making and led by [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party]]. Foreign policies concerning the [[Taiwan|Republic of China]] fall under the jurisdiction of the [[Taiwan Affairs Office]]. {{As of|
== History ==
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The Ministry initially had 170 staff, a number which increased to nearly 2,000 by 1960.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=84}} Of the 17 ambassadors appointed abroad between October 1949 and 1952, twelve were senior military officials, nine were survivors of the Long March and only three had previously been abroad.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=62}} Additionally, the new Ministry did not recruit former diplomats from the [[Kuomintang]] that opted to stay in the PRC, instead creating a new diplomatic corps entirely.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=13}}
The MFA of the PRC was established in September 1954, after the first meeting of the [[National People's Congress]], and became a department of the [[State Council of the People's Republic of China|State Council]]. The Ministry's importance to China's foreign policy apparatus has increased and decreased over time.<ref name="Loh" />{{Rp|page=24}}
In 1956, as China's diplomat engagement increased, a West Asian and African Affairs was established; previously Western European and African affairs were handled by the same department.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=84}} During this period, Zhou oversaw the professionalization and formalization of the Ministry, including establishing standard operating procedures on areas such as the Ministry's official responsibilities and training guidelines.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=84}} The Ministry was hit by the [[Anti-Rightist Campaign]], launched by [[Mao Zedong]] in 1957 after the [[Hundred Flowers Campaign]], with its quota for finding "rightists" being around 5 percent. On 11 February 1958, [[Chen Yi (marshal)|Chen Yi]] succeeded Zhou as foreign minister.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=85}}
=== Cultural Revolution ===
The Ministry personnel initially paid little attention to the [[Cultural Revolution]] when it was launched in 1966, launching a few political study sessions.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=111}} However, the movement gradually caught the Ministry's attention and after Mao received a letter from a member of the [[Communist Party of Austria]] complaining about the conduct and extravagance of Chinese diplomats in the country, he instructed Chen, writing, "
The rebels within the Ministry established the "Foreign Ministry Revolutionary Rebel Station" later in 1966 and stated their intention to overthrow the CCP committee in the Ministry.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=113}} The Ministry started recalling personnel overseas back into Beijing in 1967 to take part in the Cultural Revolution, causing immense strains in China's diplomatic corps.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=114}} The rebel groups attempted to take in the Ministry in August 1967, paralyzing the Ministry's Political Department for two weeks.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=115}} Many of China's diplomats were sent to [[May Seventh Cadre School|May Seventh cadre schools]] after their establishment in 1968 until their disestablishment in 1971.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=120}} After Mao decided to restore order in the country in late 1968, Zhou started to plan bringing back normality to the Ministry,{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=119}} and some diplomats started to return abroad in late 1969.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=120}} The Ministry-affiliated Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs was also re-activated.<ref name=":Minami">{{Cite book |last=Minami |first=Kazushi |title=People's Diplomacy: How Americans and Chinese Transformed US-China Relations during the Cold War |date=2024 |publisher=[[Cornell University Press]] |isbn=9781501774157 |location=Ithaca, NY}}</ref>{{Rp|page=36}}
By 1971, with the admission of the PRC into the United Nations, the country's diplomacy began to normalize.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=138}} However, the Ministry was increasingly factionalized, especially between the "Lord Qiao", associates of [[Qiao Guanhua]], and "young girl", referring to Mao's close associates [[Wang Hairong]] and [[Tang Wensheng]], factions.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=138}} Chen Yi died on 6 January 1972, and was succeeded by [[Ji Pengfei]] as foreign minister.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=135}}
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=== 21st century ===
As China's engagement with the world increased, the ministry established the Department of External Security Affairs in 2004, with its function being protecting citizens abroad.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=198}} It furthermore established the Center for Consular Protection in 2007.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=198}} China's rising stature also meant that the ministry worked together and sometimes competed with other institutions while conducting diplomacy, including the [[Ministry of Commerce (China)|Ministry of Commerce]], the [[Ministry of Public Security (China)|Ministry of Public Security]], and various [[State-owned enterprises of China|state-owned enterprises]].{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=2000}}
The Ministry's significance in China's foreign policy establishment has increased since 2009 and it has a higher profile both domestically and internationally.<ref name="Loh">{{Cite book |last=Loh |first=Dylan M.H. |title=China's Rising Foreign Ministry: Practices and Representations of Assertive Diplomacy |publisher=[[Stanford University Press]] |year=2024 |isbn=9781503638204}}</ref>{{Rp|page=7}} From 2011 to 2018, its diplomatic budget doubled.<ref name="Loh" />{{Rp|pages=7-8}} The Ministry has become increasingly visible to foreign audiences since the proliferation of its Twitter accounts and its diplomats' increased social media activity since 2019.<ref name="Loh" />{{Rp|page=8}}
While previously China's embassies were subject to influence by various ministries, after 2019 reforms, the Ministry has veto power over financial and personnel decisions at Chinese embassies.<ref name="Loh" />{{Rp|page=104}}
In October 2022, it was reported that the MFA asked [[consular missions in Hong Kong]] about their floor plans, lease details, and staff residences, and also asked to inspect new premises before staff enter them.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Standard |first=The |title=China demands foreign diplomats provide floor plans of Hong Kong missions: FT |url=https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/195460/China-demands-foreign-diplomats-provide-floor-plans-of-Hong-Kong-missions:-FT |access-date=2022-10-04 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref>
In September 2023, the [[United States Department of State]] accused the MFA of [[information laundering]] by using a fictitious opinion [[columnist]] named "Yi Fan" to present state narratives as "organic sentiment".<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 28, 2023 |title=How the People's Republic of China Seeks to Reshape the Global Information Environment |url=https://www.state.gov/gec-special-report-how-the-peoples-republic-of-china-seeks-to-reshape-the-global-information-environment/ |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=[[United States Department of State]] |language=en |quote=PRC officials sometimes attribute relevant content to specific authors under false names, likely to conceal the PRC's role in producing it and falsely purporting to represent legitimate, organic sentiment in a given region. In addition, PRC officials are known in some cases to attribute such manufactured commentaries to "international affairs commentators" and then use other individual, non-official accounts to promote these commentaries. As one example, the PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) uses a manufactured persona named Yi Fan, often credited as a "Beijing-based international affairs commentator," to deceptively promote pro-Beijing views on a wide variety of topics and regions.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Myers |first=Steven Lee |date=2023-09-28 |title=China Uses 'Deceptive' Methods to Sow Disinformation, U.S. Says |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/28/technology/china-disinformation-us-state-department.html |access-date=2023-09-29 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Willemyns |first=Alex |date=September 28, 2023 |title=US diplomat: 'We're in an undeclared information war' |language=en |website=[[Radio Free Asia]] |url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/disinformation-propaganda-report-09282023162711.html |access-date=2023-09-29}}</ref>
== Organization ==
The ministry is headed by the [[Minister of Foreign Affairs
=== Departments ===
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The ministry maintains Commissioner Offices in the special administrative regions (SAR) of [[Office of the Commissioner (Hong Kong)|Hong Kong]] and [[Office of the Commissioner (Macau)|Macau]], which handle the foreign affairs of the SARs.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 July 2016 |title=Main Functions |url=http://hk.ocmfa.gov.cn/eng/zjgs/zygy/201206/t20120625_7462695.htm |access-date=6 July 2023 |website=[[Office of the Commissioner (Hong Kong)]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1 March 2007 |title=Main Functions of the Commissioner's Office |url=http://mo.ocmfa.gov.cn/eng/office/mfco/200703/t20070301_8138197.htm |access-date=6 July 2023 |website=[[Office of the Commissioner (Macau)]]}}</ref> The ministry also operates the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA) for "people-to-people" diplomatic activities,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bigey |first=René |date=2023-05-11 |title=France's "influence diplomacy" under CCP influence |url=https://sinopsis.cz/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/influencediplomacy.pdf |access-date=2023-05-22 |website=Sinopsis |language=en-US}}</ref> and jointly administers the [[China Foreign Affairs University]] together with the [[Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China|Ministry of Education]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 January 2014 |title=王毅出席外交学院第四届董事会首次会暨签约仪式 |trans-title=Wang Yi Attends the First Meeting and Signing Ceremony of the Fourth Board of Directors of China Foreign Affairs University |url=https://www.gov.cn/gzdt/2014-01/07/content_2560984.htm |access-date=6 July 2023 |website=[[State Council of the People's Republic of China]]}}</ref>
The ministry is also involved in the [[Chinese foreign aid|foreign aid]] process through administering humanitarian assistance China provides.<ref name=":Chen2">{{Cite book |last=Chen |first=Muyang |title=The Latecomer's Rise: Policy Banks and the Globalization of China's Development Finance |date=2024 |publisher=[[Cornell University Press]] |isbn=9781501775857 |location=Ithaca and London}}</ref>{{Rp|page=73}}
=== Personnel ===
The ministry has over 5,000 diplomats and support personnel as of at least 2024.<ref name="Loh" />{{Rp|page=104}} From its outset, the ministry has required that its diplomats operate in pairs, although enforcement of the rule has varied over time.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=59}} Inside embassies and consulates, CCP branch organizations monitor the behavior of diplomats.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=59}}
Ministry personnel are typically graduates of well-regarded Beijing and Shanghai universities, mostly [[Peking University]], [[Tsinghua University]], [[China Foreign Affairs University]], and [[Beijing Foreign Studies University]].<ref name="Loh" />{{Rp|page=78}} Political loyalty remains the ministry's most important criterion in selecting recruits.{{Sfn|Martin|2021|p=58}}
Following the passage of the People's Republic of China Diplomatic Missions in Foreign Countries Act, the minimum age for diplomats posted overseas was raised from 18 to 23.<ref name="Loh" />{{Rp|pages=108-109}}
== Headquarters ==
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=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last
* {{cite book |translator
* {{cite book |last=Martin |first=Peter |title=China's Civilian Army: The Making of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2021 |isbn=9780197513705 |doi=10.1093/oso/9780197513705.001.0001}}
{{refend}}
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