ABSTRACT
The Foreign Ministry in China has undergone considerable change over time; gradually its personnel has become more experienced and expert, and the ministry has adjusted its structure to deal with the broadening range of complex foreign policy issues with which China has had to deal. The top leaders in the Foreign Ministry consist of the foreign minister, five vice-ministers, three assistant ministers, and one formally designated advisor. Each vice-minister and assistant minister carries special responsibility for one or more specified areas of Foreign Ministry work. Information and analyses for policymakers in the Foreign Ministry come from various sources. The foreign language institutes continue to provide many junior personnel for foreign affairs work, but the Foreign Ministry and other institutions increasingly are recognizing the need for people with training that goes well beyond the study of languages.
