# Wang Guangya

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Chinese diplomat

In this [Chinese name](/source/Chinese_name), the [family name](/source/Chinese_surname) is *[Wang (王)](/source/Wang_(surname))*.

Wang Guangya 王光亚 Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office In office October 2010 – 22 September 2017 Premier Wen Jiabao Li Keqiang Preceded by Liao Hui Succeeded by Zhang Xiaoming Permanent Representative and Ambassador of China to the United Nations In office August 2003 – September 2008 Preceded by Wang Yingfan Succeeded by Zhang Yesui Personal details Born March 1950 (age 76) Funing County, Jiangsu, China Party Chinese Communist Party Alma mater London School of Economics Johns Hopkins University

**Wang Guangya** (born March 1950; [Chinese](/source/Simplified_Chinese_characters): 王光亚; [pinyin](/source/Pinyin): *Wáng Guāngyà*)[1] is a Chinese diplomat who is the former Director of the [Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office](/source/Hong_Kong_and_Macau_Affairs_Office) of the [State Council of the People's Republic of China](/source/State_Council_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China). A career diplomat, Wang was previously Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. He served as Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations from 2003 to 2008.

## Background

### Education

Wang studied at Student Center of British Council, at the [United World College of the Atlantic](/source/Atlantic_College) in [Wales](/source/Wales), and at the [London School of Economics](/source/London_School_of_Economics) in [England](/source/England). He is a graduate from the [School of Advanced International Studies](/source/School_of_Advanced_International_Studies) at [Johns Hopkins University](/source/Johns_Hopkins_University) in [Maryland](/source/Maryland), United States, in 1982.[2]

### Family

Wang is married to [Chen Yi](/source/Chen_Yi_(communist))'s daughter Cong Jun and has a son.[3]

## Career

Wang was appointed Permanent Representative to the United Nations on 25 August 2003.[4] He was President of the [United Nations Security Council](/source/United_Nations_Security_Council) for the month of February 2004. On 3 May 2006, when Britain and France introduced a UN Security Council resolution insisting Iran end [its nuclear program](/source/Iran's_nuclear_program), Wang commented, "I don't think this draft as it stands now will produce good results. I think it's tougher than expected."[5]

According to a September 2006 profile of Wang in *[The New York Times Magazine](/source/The_New_York_Times_Magazine)*, he was considered the top contender for the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs in Beijing in 2007.[6]

In October 2010 he became the second post-handover director of the [Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office](/source/Hong_Kong_and_Macau_Affairs_Office).[7] There have only been two directors for the affairs office. Wang spends most of his time in Beijing.[7] Though he did make a three-day visit to Hong Kong in 2011 to address the [Home Ownership Scheme](/source/Home_Ownership_Scheme) issue. His working style is very different compared to the previous director [Liao Hui](/source/Liao_Hui_(politician)) who kept silent from public and worked in mystery the 13 years he was in charge of Hong Kong.[8]

## Controversy

### One country two systems comment

[Zhao Lianhai](/source/Zhao_Lianhai) was a worker who defended the victims of the [2008 Chinese milk scandal](/source/2008_Chinese_milk_scandal). On 29 December 2010 Wang Guangya said that because of the [One country, two systems](/source/One_country%2C_two_systems) Hong Kong should not interfere with the issue. He then made the controversial statement, "well water should not mix with river water" (Chinese: 井水不犯河水; pinyin: *Jǐngshuǐ bùfàn héshuǐ*). Pro-Beijing member [Ip Kwok-him](/source/Ip_Kwok-him) then tried to defend the director by saying that Hong Kong citizens were only concerned about mainland affairs, and that they do care about One country two systems as well as the mainland justice system.[9][10] [Chief Secretary for Administration](/source/Chief_Secretary_for_Administration) [Henry Tang](/source/Henry_Tang) was asked to interpret what the water-river statement meant. He only smiled and did not answer.[11] The phrase was first used by former [General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party](/source/General_Secretary_of_the_Chinese_Communist_Party) [Jiang Zemin](/source/Jiang_Zemin) in December 1989 when he met the [prime minister of the United Kingdom](/source/Prime_minister_of_the_United_Kingdom). He previously said "Well water should not mix with river water, river water should not mix with well water."[12]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["China Vitae : Biography of Wang Guangya"](http://www.chinavitae.com/biography/1344).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Alumni News"](http://www.jhu.edu/~jhumag/0204web/alumnews.html). *Johns Hopkins Magazine*. February 2004.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Sohu"](http://news.sohu.com/20070925/n252351031.shtml) in Chinese

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["中华人民共和国外交部"](http://ir.china-embassy.org/eng/dtxw/t130817.htm).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Britain, France Introduce Iran Resolution"](https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1920153&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312). ABC News. 3 May 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [James Traub](/source/James_Traub), ["The World According to China"](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/03/magazine/03ambassador.html), *The New York Times Magazine*, 3 September 2006.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-scmp1_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-scmp1_7-1) *South China Morning Post*. "["Pan-democrats feel slighted by Beijing official"](http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=037071940e49d210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=Hong+Kong&s=News) Retrieved on 2010-01-23

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** *South China Morning Post*. June 21, 2011. "Wang's a former diplomat, and it shows"

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** RTHK.org. ["王光亞：趙連海案已妥善解決"](http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/expressnews/20101229/news_20101229_55_723040.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20121001161226/http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/expressnews/20101229/news_20101229_55_723040.htm) 1 October 2012 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) Retrieved on 2 December 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** RTHK.org. ["葉國謙：港區人大關心趙連海案 不涉河水井水"](http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/expressnews/20101229/news_20101229_55_723108.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110101142837/http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/expressnews/20101229/news_20101229_55_723108.htm) 1 January 2011 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) Retrieved on 29 December 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** HKdailynews.com.hk. "["唐英年遊工展會 買豉油蠔油小食"](http://www.hkdailynews.com.hk/news.php?id=140397) Retrieved on 2010-12-29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** iFeng.com. ["回归前江泽民警告港英政府：绝不能你请客我掏钱"](http://msn.news.ifeng.com/history/midang/detail_2010_12/09/3424445_0.shtml) Retrieved on 23 January 2010

## External links

- [Wang Guangya biography @ China Vitae, the web's largest online database of China VIPs](http://www.chinavitae.com/biography_display.php?id=1344)

- [Biography](http://www.china-un.org/eng/gywm/czdbt/wgy/t40636.htm)

- [Princeton University speech in April 2004](http://www.chinaconsulatesf.org/eng/xw/t84136.htm)

- [University of Chicago speech in April 2006](https://web.archive.org/web/20061206221349/http://chicagosociety.uchicago.edu/china/coverage.htm) at the University of Chicago's "China and the Future of the World" conference

- [Appearances](https://www.c-span.org/person/?58678) on [C-SPAN](/source/C-SPAN)

Government offices Preceded by Liao Hui Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office 2010–2017 Succeeded by Zhang Xiaoming Diplomatic posts Preceded by Wang Yingfan Permanent Representative and Ambassador of China to the United Nations 2003–2008 Succeeded by Zhang Yesui

v t e Permanent representatives and ambassadors of China to the United Nations Republic of China (1946–1971) Guo Taiqi Tsiang Tingfu Liu Chieh People's Republic of China (1971–present) Huang Hua Chen Chu Ling Qing Li Luye Li Daoyu Li Zhaoxing Qin Huasun Wang Yingfan Wang Guangya Zhang Yesui Li Baodong Liu Jieyi Ma Zhaoxu Zhang Jun Fu Cong

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Wang Guangya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Guangya) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Guangya?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.