The sudden death of former Chinese ambassador and influential foreign policy "dove" Wu Jianmin has sparked shock and mourning. But, more unusually, it has also prompted a rare moment of reflection in China over how the country should deal with its foreign policy challenges. Mr Wu was one of China's most senior and outspoken diplomats. He served as an interpreter for Mao Zedong and his premier Zhou Enlai, and was also China's ambassador to France, the Netherlands and the United Nations in Geneva at various points in his career.
Mr Wu's views have not always coincided with those of China's leaders. He has argued that China should keep a low-profile in the international arena - a popular policy during the 1990s and 2000s, which many analysts believe has been altered by President Xi Jinping's more assertive stance since 2012. Read more
