IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Beijing

Ex-spokesman named assistant minister

Former Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang has been promoted to the position of assistant foreign minister, according to the ministry's website. Qin, 51, graduated from the Beijing-based University of International Relations. He worked as the ministry's spokesman from 2005 to 2010 and from 2011 to 2014. Qin was head of the ministry's Protocol Department before the promotion. The website shows he still holds the position.