(Bloomberg) -- China has transferred a senior diplomat closely associated with the Foreign Ministry's more confrontational shift in recent years to a new role, in the latest sign that Beijing is rethinking its so-called “Wolf Warrior” approach.
Zhao Lijian has been named deputy director of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on its website. The Ministry currently has three spokespeople, including Hua Chunying, Wang Wenbin and Mao Ning, the website shows.
The move comes after China's ambassador to the US Qin Gang left his role to become foreign minister, an indication that China may adopt a softer touch after several years of assertive communication. Qin has been known to walk a fine line between defending China's interests and projecting a moderate take on Beijing's positions.
Zhao, in contrast, drew attention from his first appearance as spokesperson in February 2020 as an exemplar of what the international press dubbed Wolf Warrior diplomacy, referring to a series of films depicting Chinese heroes vanquishing foreign foes. Shortly after assuming the role in the early days of the pandemic, Zhao prompted outrage in the US by promoting a conspiracy theory about the origin of Covid 19, claiming it may have been brought to Wuhan by visiting American athletes.
Zhao also courted controversy when he tweeted an apparent reference to allegations that Australian soldiers in Afghanistan were involved in unlawful killings, prompting the Australian prime minister to demand an apology.
He last spoke at the Ministry's daily press conference on December 2.
--With assistance from .
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