Zhou Limin: China sends Wuhan crisis diplomat to Sydney

China has filled a key diplomatic posting that was abruptly vacated in June during a period of extreme stress with Australia.

Zhou Limin, far left, with his consular crisis team in Wuhan

China has sent a crisis expert to be its consul general in Sydney, filling a key diplomatic posting that was abruptly vacated in June during a period of extreme stress with Australia.

Thirty year diplomatic veteran Zhou Limin has come to the ambassadorial-ranked posting from Beijing, where he was deputy director of consular affairs at China’s Foreign Ministry.

In that role, he was sent by Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi to Wuhan in late January to run a consular crisis group at the height of the city’s coronavirus outbreak.

Beijing was impressed by the “loyalty, mission and dedication” of Mr Zhou and his team, which co-ordinated flights of foreigners, including two to Australia.

“You united with the people of Hubei and Wuhan, overcame the difficulties together, and completed the task very well,” said Foreign Minister Wang, in remarks published in Chinese state media.

Zhou Limin has been sent to Sydney.

While not quite Wuhan during the coronavirus catastrophe, Australia has in recent years become a more challenging assignment in the Chinese diplomatic network.

China’s last Sydney consul general Gu Xiaojie, previously China’s ambassador in Nigeria, left the posting suddenly in June – weeks before four Chinese journalists well known by the Sydney consulate were raided by police officers and the Australian Security Agency Intelligence Agency.

That dawn raid outraged China’s foreign ministry.

It came after the bilateral relationship hit new lows after the Morrison government’s call for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus, China imposed a new security law on Hong Kong and trade of Australian beef, barley and wine was disrupted.

Diplomatic sources have linked a hold up in Mr Zhou’s arrival to the delay of Australia’s new consul-general in Hong Kong, Elizabeth Ward, who finally began her posting at the start of October after an almost 10 month visa ordeal.

“It’s a welcome step forward that they have both taken up their postings,” said Michael Clifton, the NSW president of the Australia China Business Council, who was previously the head of Austrade in China.

“Diplomats have a role to play – but they can’t do it if they are not in their postings,” he told The Australian.

Born in Shandong province, Mr Zhou has previously been posted to New York, Toronto and the Netherlands.

He ended his 14-day quarantine at the consulate residence in inner city Camperdown on Wednesday after arriving in Sydney on October 13 and will soon meet with senior political and business figures in New South Wales.

In a statement, the consulate said Mr Zhou wants to help build “mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and Australian peoples”.

The statement also noted his consular skills, which were recently demonstrated in Wuhan.

“The Consulate General will also do its utmost to protect the legal rights and interests of Chinese citizens and enterprises in NSW in accordance with the law, and provide high quality consular service to both Chinese citizens and foreigners.”