Hong Lei
洪磊
Hong in 2016
Director of the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office February 2019
Preceded by	Qin Gang
Chinese Consul-General to Chicago
In office 22 July 2016 – 28 August 2018
Preceded by	Zhao Weijun
Succeeded by	Liu Jun
Deputy Director of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In office November 2010 – July 2016
Preceded by	Qin Gang
Succeeded by	Hua Chunying
Personal details
Born	August 1969 (age 54) Fuyang, Zhejiang, China
Political party	Communist Party of China
Alma mater	Beijing Language and Culture University

Hong Lei (Chinese: 洪磊; pinyin: Hóng Leǐ; born August 1969) is a Chinese diplomat and politician, serving as Head of the Department of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was Chinese Consul General in Chicago from 2016 to 2018 and served as spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2016.^[1] Hong was the 25th spokesperson since the spokesperson system was established in the ministry in 1983.

Life

A native of Fuyang, Zhejiang, Hong Lei graduated from Beijing Language and Culture University in 1991. After college, he was appointed as an official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and over a period of 20 years worked his way up to the position of spokesperson.^[2][3]