Song Jingwu was born in June 1959 in Shandong, China. He completed his undergraduate education and studied French at an Algerian diplomatic school. Song began his career in 1973, studying French at a diplomatic school in Algeria. After returning to China, he undertook labor training at a cadre school affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. He subsequently entered the foreign service, serving as a staff member at the Chinese Embassy in Lebanon from 1977 to 1981.[1]
From 1981 to 1983, Song worked as a Chinese-language secretary at the Beijing Service Bureau for Diplomatic Missions. He later joined the Translation Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he served successively as a cadre, attaché, and third secretary between 1983 and 1991. In 1991, Song was posted to the Chinese Embassy in France, where he served as second secretary until 1995. He then returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, holding various positions in the Department of Western European Affairs, including first secretary, deputy division director, division director, and counselor. Between 2004 and 2005, he served as counselor and division director in the Department of European Affairs.[2]
From 2005 to 2009, Song again served at the Chinese Embassy in France as counselor and minister-counselor. He later held a vice-ministerial-level position within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served as Deputy Director-General of the Department of Foreign Affairs Management from 2010 to 2013. In 2013, Song joined the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries as Director-General of the Department of Eurasian Affairs. He was appointed Vice President of the association in 2015.[3]
Song was a member of the 13th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and served on its Foreign Affairs Committee.[4] He currently serves as Vice President and Secretary-General of the China-EU Association.[5]