China’s foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, widely regarded as a “wolf warrior” diplomat, especially for his aggressive remarks and tweets against the US and other countries, has been transferred to the ministry’s Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs.

Before he was appointed a spokesman of the Chinese foreign ministry in 2019, Zhao, 50, served as deputy ambassador to the Chinese embassy in Islamabad. He used to speak about his posting in Pakistan in laudatory terms at his news briefings as the spokesman of the foreign ministry whenever he answered a question on the country.

His name has been removed from the list of spokespersons on the Chinese foreign ministry’s website and added as deputy director general of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs which largely deals with China’s claims and agreements related to land and ocean boundaries, including the India-China border issue. His transfer coincides with the appointment of Qin Gang as China’s new foreign minister.