After five controversial years as China's ambassador to France, Lu Shaye will be bringing his vision of diplomacy to bear on European matters. On Thursday, February 6, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the appointment of this senior official as the Chinese government's special representative for European affairs, at a time when relations between Beijing and Brussels have been under strain as much from trade disputes as from the Chinese-Russian partnership that has persisted despite the war in Ukraine. "Lu Shaye is an experienced diplomat who is familiar with the situation in Europe. We believe he will actively fulfill his mission and facilitate communication and coordination with the European side in accordance with the instructions and needs of the Chinese government while promoting dialogue and cooperation, making contributions to the steady and healthy development of China-EU relations," said foreign affairs spokesman Guo Jiakun.

Lu has been one of the most outspoken representatives of the "wolf warriors," those Chinese diplomats who believe that China should adopt a much more assertive, even aggressive posture, especially toward Western countries. They take their nickname from the title of a Rambo-like Chinese action movie. After serving as China's ambassador to Senegal and then to Canada, Lu generated one controversy after another while serving as ambassador to France from 2019 to December 2024.

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