Foreign Ministry has three new deputy heads

The government yesterday named three new deputy heads for the Foreign Ministry, appointments which analysts said appeared to deal with a heavier diplomatic workload amid the country's rising global status.

Three veteran diplomats, Cui Tiankai, 58, Fu Ying, 57, and Zhai Jun, 56, were appointed vice-ministers, according to a statement released by the State Council on the first working day this year.

The outgoing vice-ministers are Wu Dawei and He Yafei. Wu, 64, is four years past the retirement age. The statement did not say whether 55-year-old He will be appointed to another post.