Zhang Yesui, executive vice-foreign minister since 2012, showed up as spokesman for the first session of China's 13th National People's Congress on Sunday.

He attracted media limelight as he walked into the venue for the first news conference of the annual NPC session at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The veteran diplomat assumed the post from Fu Ying, who was also vice-foreign minister before serving as spokeswoman of all the five annual sessions of the 12th NPC from 2013 to 2017 respectively.

Born in Tianmen of Hubei province in 1953, Zhang graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Zhang’s name was known by many when he started serving as Chinese ambassador to the United States in 2009 to succeed his predecessor Zhou Wenzhong.

He took his post as executive vice-foreign minister in 2012 and has been in charge of the ministry’s executive works as well as foreign affairs related to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.