On Thursday, July 11 the Inter-American Dialogue hosted a private, off-the-record roundtable discussion with Shen Zhiliang, the new director general of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is visiting Washington to lead the Latin America discussion at the 2013 US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. Participants included a select group of experts on China-Latin America relations, as well as representatives from the Chinese delegation and from the U.S. State Department.

Shen Zhiliang bio highlights:

2012 – Present: Director General, LAC Department, MFA
2010-2012: Chinese Ambassador to Bolivia
2009-2010: Deputy Director General, LAC Department, MFA
2008-2009: Counselor, LAC Department, MFA
2005-2008: Counselor, Chinese Embassy in Mexico
2002-2005: First Secretary, Director, LAC Department, MFA
1998-2002: Second Secretary, First Secretary, Chinese Embassy in Venezuela
1996-1998: Third Secretary, Second Secretary, Deputy Director, LAC Department, MFA
1994-1996: Third Secretary and Vice Consul, Chinese Consulate General in Barcelona
1990-1994: Attaché, Third Secretary, Chinese Embassy in Equatorial Guinea
1988-1990: Staff Member, Attaché, LAC Department, MFA
1986-1988: Staff Member, Department of American and Oceanic Affairs, MFA