Team Blitz India
After an unprecedented gap of over 18 months, China has appointed seasoned diplomat Xu Feihong as its new envoy to India. Xu, a former ambassador to Afghanistan and Romania, and former deputy director general of the Department of European Affairs at the Chinese foreign ministry, officially took office in New Delhi on May 10.
“Arrived at dawn in Delhi today. Thanks for the warm greetings from MEA official, Dean of Diplomatic Corps H.E. Ambassador Alem Tsehaye Woldemariam of Eritrea to India, and my colleagues from the Embassy.
Look forward to working hard with all for #China-#India relations,” Xu Feihong wrote in a post on X. The top post at the Chinese embassy had remained vacant for the longest duration since the 1962-1976 period. Xu Feihong’s appointment makes him the 17th Chinese Ambassador to India, following Sun Weidong’s three-year term which ended in October 2022. After his service in Delhi, Sun assumed the position of China’s Deputy Foreign Minister.
In an interview with state-run China Global Television Network (CGTN) published on 10 May, Xu was asked about his first reaction to his appointment as ambassador to India.
He responded, “It is an honourable mission and a sacred duty. I will do my best to deepen understanding and friendship between the two peoples, expand exchanges and cooperation in various fields and improve and advance the bilateral relationship.”
“I look forward to and trust that I will have the support and assistance from the Indian government and friends from all sectors,” he said.
Asked what would be his priorities upon assuming charge, Xu said, “Both China and India are time-honoured civilisations; we are each other’s important neighbours and the biggest emerging markets and developing countries of the world.”
