# Minister of Foreign Affairs (China)

The minister of foreign affairs of the People's Republic of China is the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China and one of the country's top and most important State Council posts. Officially, the minister is nominated by the premier of the State Council, who is then approved by the National People's Congress or its Standing Committee and appointed by the president.
The minister usually is also a member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and a state councillor. The Minister is the second-highest ranking diplomat in China after the director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission. The current minister is Wang Yi, who concurrently serves as the director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission.

## History

The post was initially established after the proclamation of the People's Republic of China on 1 October 1949 as the minister of foreign affairs of the Central People's Government, with Zhou Enlai being appointed as both the minister and the premier.

## List of officeholders

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Important offices held during tenure | Premier | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Term | Important offices held during tenure | Premier | Ref. |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Central People's Government |||||||||
| 1 | | Zhou Enlai 周恩来 (1898–1976) | 1 October 1949 | 28 September 1954 | 4 years, 362 days | Premier of the State Council | Zhou Enlai | |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China |||||||||
| 1 | | Zhou Enlai 周恩来 (1898–1976) | 28 September 1954 | 11 February 1958 | 3 years, 136 days | Premier of the State Council Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party | Zhou Enlai | |
| 2 | | Marshal Chen Yi 陈毅 (1901–1972) | 11 February 1958 | 6 January 1972 | 13 years, 329 days | Vice Premier of the State Council Head of the Central Foreign Affairs Leading Group Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Vice Chairman of the CCP Central Military Commission | Zhou Enlai | |
| 3 | | Ji Pengfei 姬鹏飞 (1910–2000) | 6 January 1972 | 18 November 1973 | 1 year, 316 days | Head of the Party Core Group of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Zhou Enlai | |
| 4 | | Qiao Guanhua 喬冠華 (1913–1983) | 18 November 1973 | 2 December 1976 | 3 years, 14 days | | Zhou Enlai Hua Guofeng | |
| 5 | | Huang Hua 黄华 (1913–2010) | 2 December 1976 | 19 November 1982 | 5 years, 352 days | Vice Premier of the State Council State Councillor | Hua Guofeng Zhao Ziyang | |
| 6 | | Wu Xueqian 吴学谦 (1921–2008) | 19 November 1982 | 12 April 1988 | 5 years, 145 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs State Councillor Deputy Head of the Central Foreign Affairs Leading Group | Zhao Ziyang | |
| 7 | | Qian Qichen 钱其琛 (1928–2017) | 12 April 1988 | 18 March 1998 | 9 years, 340 days | Vice Premier of the State Council State Councillor | Li Peng | |
| 8 | | Tang Jiaxuan 唐家璇 (born 1938) | 18 March 1998 | 17 March 2003 | 4 years, 364 days | Secretary of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Zhu Rongji | |
| 9 | | Li Zhaoxing 李肇星 (born 1940) | 17 March 2003 | 27 April 2007 | 4 years, 41 days | | Wen Jiabao | |
| 10 | | Yang Jiechi 杨洁篪 (born 1950) | 27 April 2007 | 16 March 2013 | 5 years, 323 days | State Councillor | Wen Jiabao | |
| 11 | | Wang Yi 王毅 (born 1953) | 16 March 2013 | 30 December 2022 | 9 years, 289 days | State Councillor Member of the CCP Politburo | Li Keqiang | |
| 12 | | Qin Gang 秦刚 (born 1966) | 30 December 2022 | 25 July 2023 | 207 days | Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs State Councillor | | |
| 12 | | Qin Gang 秦刚 (born 1966) | 30 December 2022 | 25 July 2023 | 207 days | Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs State Councillor | Li Qiang | |
| 13 | | Wang Yi 王毅 (born 1953) | 25 July 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 234 days | Member of the CCP Politburo Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission | Li Qiang | |