The promotion of a former ambassador and experienced foreign policy expert to a major Party position covering international affairs was confirmed on Tuesday.

Song Tao, vice-foreign minister from 2011 to 2013, is the new executive deputy minister of the Central Foreign Affairs Office, the executive organ handling the Party's foreign affairs policy. The head of the office is State Councilor Yang Jiechi.

Song has worked in academia and held positions in the industrial sector and diplomacy. He is also a renowned expert on Philippine and European affairs.

The 59-year-old Song was confirmed to have become a deputy minister in the Central Foreign Affairs Office in January.

According to News of the Communist Party of China on cpcnews.cn, confirming Song's promotion on Tuesday, Song was executive deputy minister of the office when he met earlier this month with Liu Cigui, the head of the State Oceanic Administration.

Born in Jiangsu province in 1955, Song has a doctorate in economics, according to the Foreign Ministry's website.

He started his career in 1978 as a lecturer at the Fujian College of Forestry.

Song served in the industrial and financial sectors from 1992 to 2000, including as vice-president of the Fujian International Trust and Investment Corp.

His diplomatic missions started in 2000 as a counselor at the Chinese embassy in India before he became ambassador to Guyana in 2002.

After serving as director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Department of Chinese Diplomatic Missions Abroad from 2004 to 2007, he became ambassador to the Philippines in 2007.

In 2011, he became vice-foreign minister in charge of European and other administrative affairs.

zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn