Gong Xiaosheng, special envoy on the Middle East issue, said there are five hot spots in the region and that the Syria issue is "of great complexity".

Liu Guijin, a former special representative on African affairs, said, "The number of China's special envoys will continue to rise. China is increasingly proactive in being part of major global affairs."

Bill Jones with Executive Intelligence Review, a weekly US magazine, said US special envoys are often appointed "only for the duration of the ‘crisis' or ‘situation' for which he or she has been assigned".

"Because of their designation, special envoys can often bypass ordinary diplomatic channels and confer directly with the secretary (of state) or with the White House, possibly even the president, on the matter for which he or she has been assigned responsibility," he said.

Jonathan Cristol, a fellow at the World Policy Institute, said special envoys "can be a very useful tool" for China to safeguard its global interests, and it is hoped that such envoys will "have wide-ranging personal relationships with multiple actors".

Allan Fong and Amy He in the US and Wang Xu in Beijing contributed to this story.

Contact the writers through zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn