China Names New Official for Taiwan RelationsChinese government will appoint a new deputy head of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), official sources said on Thursday.Harvard-graduated Zhou in his mid-forties, head of the Foreign Affairs Department of the Shanghai city government, would take over the key ARATS post in the "near term". "Zhou is a technical cadre who may help handle the relations between the mainland and Taiwan more effectively," said one source, citing his expertise in China's international relations. "Zhou's appointment is not a signal of any policy changes. It is a promotion of a young and effective official," the source said. There are reports that Tang Shubei, executive vice-chairman of ARATS, is retiring from his post. |
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