Photo: WeChat account of Chinese Embassy in Pakistan

Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong has been appointed assistant minister of foreign affairs by the State Council, according to an announcement on the website of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on Tuesday.

Nong, 56, was appointed Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan in 2020 and arrived in October that year as the 18th Chinese ambassador to the country.

The Chinese people have created a unique name for Pakistan - Iron Brother - to describe the all-weather friendship between China and Pakistan, the ambassador said.

Nong served in different positions and had diverse experiences before going to Pakistan. He spent the majority of his career in his hometown, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, after graduating from Peking University majoring in nuclear physics. He became mayor of Guigang in 2015 and was named head of the regional commission for ethnic and religious affairs in 2019.

At a farewell reception on January 16 in Islamabad, Nong said that although he was leaving Pakistan, his heart would always be with the Pakistani people.

"I sincerely wish Pakistan prosperity and its people happiness and health. May the iron-clad friendship between China and Pakistan last forever. May the cooperation between the two countries be more prosperous. May China and Pakistan continue to write new legends," Nong said.

Another Chinese diplomat in South Asia, Sun Weidong, ambassador to India, was appointed as vice minister of foreign affairs on November 15, 2022.

It is not unusual for senior Chinese diplomats who have served in South Asia to continue to hold important posts in the Foreign Ministry, Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

It also shows the importance China attaches to developing diplomatic relations with neighboring countries, and in this process, experienced ambassadors have been given new responsibilities, the expert explained.

More and more Chinese diplomats are now having rich work experience in different positions, just like Nong, said Qian, adding that Chinese diplomacy will become more diversified with increasing knowledge of the outside world.