China is considering former Ambassador to Japan Wang Yi, who currently heads the Taiwan Affairs Office, to replace outgoing Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, multiple Chinese government-related sources said.
The consideration of a seasoned diplomat well-versed in Japanese affairs as China's next foreign minister appears to reflect the priority Chinese President Xi Jinping places on Sino-Japanese relations as the two countries continue to spar over ownership of the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
Wang, having spent many years working in Japan, is known to have many contacts in domestic political and business circles.