ranking and nomenclature between posts and positions), Counsellors are represented by BB4 officers; Consuls and First and Second Secretaries are BB3 officers and Third Secretaries and Vice Consuls are BB2 officers. DFAT only posts a limited number of low-level BB1 staff abroad. In large Australian missions an SES officer who is not the head of mission could be posted with the rank of Minister. Brazil The Brazilian Foreign Service (Serviço Exterior Brasileiro) is made up of three careers: the Diplomat Career, the Chancery Officer Career and the Chancery Assistant Career. Assistente de Chancelaria (Chancery Assistants / Attaché) are career civil servants with a minimum high-school degree who provide technical and administrative support in Brazil and in Brazilian representations abroad. Oficial de Chancelaria (Chancery Officers / Attaché) are career civil servants with a minimum university degree who contribute for the formulation, implementation and execution of acts of technical analysis and administrative management, necessary for the development of Brazilian foreign policy. Diplomata (Diplomat) are career civil servants responsible for diplomatic and consular activities, in their specific aspects of representation, negotiation, information and protection of Brazilian interests in the international field. There are no ranks in the Chancery Assistant or Chancery Officer careers, nor a hierarchy between careers. However, when working abroad, it is common for Chancery Assistants and Chancery Officers to be assigned to sensitive functions, such as the Vice-Consul, and/or as Head of Sectors such as administration, accounting, communications, processing of political, commercial, diplomatic or consular information. There are six ranks in the Diplomat career, in hierarchical order: ("Third secretary") ("Second secretary") ("First secretary") ("Counsellor") ("Minister, second class") ("Minister, first class", usually referred to as 'Ambassador') is the honorary dignity conceded permanently when a Minister of First Class assumes a Post overseas. It can also be a temporary assignment, when carried on by a lower-rank diplomat or Brazilian politician of high level. China The ranks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China are defined by the Law on Diplomatic Personnel Stationed Abroad, passed in 2009 by the National People's Congress: Attaché (Simplified Chinese: 随员; Pinyin: suíyuán) Third Secretary (三等秘书; sānděng mìshū) Second Secretary (二等秘书; èrděng mìshū) First Secretary (一等秘书; yīděng mìshū) Counselor (参赞; cānzàn) Minister (公使; gōngshǐ) Ambassador (大使; dàshǐ) Egypt The following ranks are used in the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Diplomatic Attaché Third Secretary Second Secretary First Secretary Counselor Minister Plenipotentiary Ambassador France