Ma Zhaoxu, China's former permanent representative to the United Nations, has assumed the post of vice foreign minister, according to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ma is in charge of work related to international organizations and conferences, international economy and arms control.

Born in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, in 1963, Ma joined the Foreign Ministry in 1987. He served as director general of the ministry's Information Department from 2009 to 2011 and as assistant foreign minister from 2011 to 2013.

He was also China's ambassador to Australia from 2013 to 2016, and served as China's permanent representative to the UN Office at Geneva from 2016 to 2018, before becoming permanent representative to the United Nations.