NEW DELHI: Chinese Prez Xi Jinping has appointed senior diplomat Xu Feihong as new ambassador to India after an unusually long delay of 18 months amid frozen relations between the two countries over eastern Ladakh military standoff.
While there is no official announcement yet, the Chinese foreign ministry confirmed to PTI that Xu, ex-ambassador to Afghanistan and Romania, has been appointed as China’s new envoy in India.TOI was first to report on Jan 29 that Xu will be China’s new ambassador to India. Xu is expected to travel to New Delhi soon to assume his new responsibility.
He will succeed ex-Chinese diplomat Sun Weidong who completed his tenure in Oct 2022.
Sun is currently vice-foreign minister overseeing China’s South Asia policy. Xu’s appointment comes amid protracted military and diplomatic negotiations between Beijing and New Delhi to resolve the prolonged military standoff.
Relations between the two countries were frozen except for trade ever since the eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Tso area. The eastern Ladakh standoff has resulted in a freeze of bilateral ties. The two sides have so far held 21 rounds of corps commanders-level talks to resolve the standoff.
While there is no official announcement yet, the Chinese foreign ministry confirmed to PTI that Xu, ex-ambassador to Afghanistan and Romania, has been appointed as China’s new envoy in India.TOI was first to report on Jan 29 that Xu will be China’s new ambassador to India. Xu is expected to travel to New Delhi soon to assume his new responsibility.
He will succeed ex-Chinese diplomat Sun Weidong who completed his tenure in Oct 2022.
Sun is currently vice-foreign minister overseeing China’s South Asia policy. Xu’s appointment comes amid protracted military and diplomatic negotiations between Beijing and New Delhi to resolve the prolonged military standoff.
Relations between the two countries were frozen except for trade ever since the eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Tso area. The eastern Ladakh standoff has resulted in a freeze of bilateral ties. The two sides have so far held 21 rounds of corps commanders-level talks to resolve the standoff.
Source Agencies
