China names new ambassador to India after 18-month vacancy amid border dispute deadlock

Beijing appoints Xu Feihong to the embassy in New Delhi, filling long-standing gap that added to diplomatic challenges following border clashes

However, it is unlikely that Sino-Indian relations will improve quickly as a result of the appointment

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China’s new ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, is a veteran diplomat whose previous posts were mostly in Western countries. Photo: Weixin

Published: 3:19pm, 10 May 2024Updated: 5:29pm, 10 May 2024

Corrected [5:24pm, 10 May, 2024]

[5:24pm, 10 May, 2024]
This article has been amended to correct details of the diplomatic and military talks between China and India.

China has appointed senior diplomat Xu Feihong as its new ambassador to India, filling an 18-month vacancy amid deadlocked bilateral relations due to a military stand-off along the disputed Himalayan border.

Xu, 60, former assistant minister of foreign affairs, arrived in New Delhi on Friday morning to take up the post, according to the Chinese embassy in India.

In an interview with state broadcaster CGTN, Xu cited an understanding between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the two countries were cooperation partners, not competitors, and presented opportunities for development, not threats. He added that his priority would be to promote “sound and steady” bilateral ties.

“I will follow the important consensus between our leaders, reach out to friends from all sectors of India, earnestly enhance the understanding and trust between the two sides to work to restore exchanges and cooperation in various fields and create favourable conditions for a sound and steady China-India relationship,” Xu said.

The appointment filled the post’s longest vacancy since 1976. Xu’s predecessor Sun Weidong departed in November 2022 to take a vice-ministerial role at the foreign ministry.

Xu previously served as China’s ambassador to Afghanistan from March 2011 to August 2013 and later served as ambassador to Romania from January 2015 to May 2018.

He served as assistant foreign minister for administrative and financial affairs from February 2021 until he was removed from the post in December of last year without any explanation or announcement regarding his next position.

China names new ambassador to India after 18-month vacancy amid border dispute deadlock

Beijing appoints Xu Feihong to the embassy in New Delhi, filling long-standing gap that added to diplomatic challenges following border clashes However, it is unlikely that Sino-Indian relations will improve quickly as a result of the appointment

Beijing appoints Xu Feihong to the embassy in New Delhi, filling long-standing gap that added to diplomatic challenges following border clashes

However, it is unlikely that Sino-Indian relations will improve quickly as a result of the appointment