Chinese DCM, Lijian Zhao leaving Islamabad

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ISLAMABAD, AUG 03 (DNA) – Chinese Deputy Chief of Mission in Pakistan, Lijian Zhao , is leaving with effect from 8th August. He has been replaced by another senior diplomat, Ms. Pang Chunxue who is already in Islamabad.Zhao had served on more than one occasion in Islamabad. Altogether he served more than eight years in Pakistan.He became the first Chinese diplomat in Islamabad who effectively used twitter to explain things about CPEC projects and Pak-China relations and became a house hold name in Pakistan.

Zhao was born in Hebei province, China in 1972. He obtained a master’s degree in political affairs and joined Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1996. As a junior diplomat he has served in Washington.
Between 2013 and 2015, he served as Director in Office of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh affairs in Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.
And from July 2015 till May 2017 he served as Deputy Chief of Mission and political counsellor in Chinese Embassy in Pakistan. He was then promoted to Minister Counsellor and served in the twin capacity of DCM and Minister Counselor till now.

Zhao has been the ever first Chinese diplomat who was very well known in Islamabad’s diplomatic, political and media circles.

He developed large presence and visibility and Pakistanis have lined up farewell dinners for him. He is being offered warm good byes on twitter too.

He was related to CPEC and monitoring various projects.
While he did a lot in terms of promotion of bilateral relations his critics blame him for forging partnerships with mostly less important media organisations.
This arrangement in some cases backfired and despite heavy invedtments in Pakistani media desired results were not achieved, diplomatic sources further claimed.