Zhang Zhijun

Zhang Zhijun
张志军
Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office
In office
17 March 2013 – 21 March 2018
Premier Li Keqiang
Deputy Zheng Lizhong, Sun Yafu, Ye Kedong, Chen Yuanfeng
Preceded by Wang Yi
Succeeded by Liu Jieyi
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
2009 – 16 March 2013
Minister Yang Jiechi
Premier Wen Jiabao
Personal details
Born February 1953 (1953-02) (age 65)
Nantong, Jiangsu, China
Nationality Chinese
Political party Communist Party of China

Zhang Zhijun (Chinese: 张志军; pinyin: Zhāng Zhìjūn; born February 1, 1953) is a diplomat and politician of the People's Republic of China. From 17 March 2013 to 21 March 2018, he has served as the Minister[1] of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.[2][3][4] He is currently the President of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits since April 2018.

Education

Zhang studied at Peking University in 1971.[5] He also went overseas to the United Kingdom for student exchange. [5]

Taiwan Affairs Office

11th Cross-Strait Relations Symposium

In March 2013, speaking at the 11th Cross-Strait Relations Symposium in Pingtan, Fujian, Zhang called for increased quality and efficiency of cross-strait exchanges and cooperation. The symposium was attended by people from both sides, including some from Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party. He wished to visit Taiwan as well as to meet his counterpart, Wang Yu-chi, the head of the Mainland Affairs Council.[6]

Zhang-Wang meeting

Zhang Zhijun visit to Taiwan to meet with Wang Yu-chi

On 11 February 2014, Zhang met with Wang Yu-chi in Nanjing, the first high-level government-to-government official contact between the two sides since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. The meeting took place at the Purple Palace in Nanjing.[7][8] Upon meeting with Wang, both of them agreed to establish a direct and regular communication channel between the two sides for future engagement under the 1992 Consensus. They also agreed on finding a solution for health insurance coverage aiming towards Taiwanese students studying in the mainland, on pragmatically establishing SEF and ARATS offices in each other's territory and on studying the feasibility of allowing visits to detained persons once offices have been established.[9]

Before both of them shook hands, Zhang referred to Wang as "Minister Wang Yu-chi" without mentioning the name Mainland Affairs Council and Wang referred Zhang as "TAO Director Zhang Zhijun". However, Mainland China's Xinhua News Agency referred to Wang as the "Responsible Official of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council" (Chinese: 台湾方面大陆委员会负责人; pinyin: Táiwān Fāngmiàn Dàlù Wěiyuánhuì Fùzé Rén)[10] in its Chinese-language news or as the "Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Chief" in its English-language news.[11]

On 25–28 June 2014, Zhang paid an official visit to Taiwan.[12]

Xi-Ma meeting

Regarding the meeting between the head of both sides of the Taiwan Strait by Ma Ying-jeou and Xi Jinping, Zhang said that a meeting between family members can take place anywhere during any occasion. It needs not take place at any international or multilateral event. He further added that any such meeting can even occur in Mainland China, Taiwan or any third location.[13] On Saturday, 7 November 2015, Xi met Ma in Singapore during Xi's state visit to Singapore.

See also

References

  1. ↑ www.taiwan.cn (2011-03-11). "Welcome Message by the Minister_Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council PRC". Gwytb.gov.cn. Retrieved 2014-06-13.
  2. ↑ http://www.chinamedia.com/news/2013/03/19/taipei-welcomes-new-taiwan-affairs-office-head-zhang-zhijun/. Retrieved March 24, 2013. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ↑ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China". Fmprc.gov.cn. Retrieved 2014-06-13.
  4. ↑ Reuters (2012-06-21). "China says Vietnam claim to islands "null and void"". Euronews. Retrieved 2012-06-21.
  5. 1 2 "大公报数字报". paper.takungpao.com. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  6. ↑ Lawrence Chung in Taipei lawrence.chung@scmp.com (2014-05-22). "Zhang Zhijun, China's new Taiwan affairs head, outlines agenda | South China Morning Post". Scmp.com. Retrieved 2014-06-13.
  7. ↑ "MAC, TAO ministers to meet today". The China Post. Retrieved 2014-06-13.
  8. ↑ "MAC Minister Wang in historic meeting". Taipei Times. 2014-06-06. Retrieved 2014-06-13.
  9. ↑ "MAC Minister Wang in historic meeting". Taipei Times. 2014-06-06. Retrieved 2014-06-13.
  10. ↑ "国台办主任张志军与台湾方面大陆委员会负责人王郁琦举行正式会面_图片频道_新华网". News.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2014-06-13.
  11. ↑ "Cross-Strait affairs chiefs hold first formal meeting - Xinhua | English.news.cn". News.xinhuanet.com. 2014-02-11. Retrieved 2014-06-13.
  12. ↑ 李潇 (2009-09-25). "Mainland's Taiwan affairs chief to visit Taiwan". China.org.cn. Retrieved 2014-06-23.
  13. ↑ "Taiwan not fully sold on '1992 consensus': ARATS". The China Post. Retrieved 2014-06-13.
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