“Look forward to working hard for China-India relations”: New Chinese envoy Xu Feihong

Newly-appointed Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, who arrived in Delhi on Friday, said he was looking forward to working hard with all for the ties between the two nations.

Xu expressed gratitude to the Ministry of External Affairs official who received him at the airport, Eritrea’s Ambassador to India Alem Tsehaye Woldemariam and officials from the Chinese Embassy for welcoming him upon arrival in Delhi.

In a post on X, Xu Feihong stated, “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 is the 17th Chinese Ambassador to India. The last Chinese Ambassador to India was Sun Weidong, who left in October 2022, after serving three years in Delhi, and took over as China’s deputy Foreign Minister after his return.

Sun Weidong left Delhi at a time when India and China were trying to manage ties via multiple channels, following the Ladakh border clash in 2020 that has remained the dominant issue between the two sides.

Since April 2020, India and China have had several rounds of diplomatic and military level meetings on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), in the India-China border areas.

Earlier in March, India and China exchanged views on ways of achieving complete disengagement and resolving the issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of India-China border areas, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an official press release.

The development comes close on the heels of India and China holding its 29th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) in Beijing on March 27.

According to the official release, the meeting was co-chaired by the MEA Joint Secretary who led the Indian delegation and the Director General of the Boundary & Oceanic Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs led the Chinese delegation.

“The 29th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on 27 March 2024 in Beijing. Joint Secretary (East Asia) from the Ministry of External Affairs led the Indian delegation. The Chinese delegation was led by Director General of the Boundary & Oceanic Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the release read.

“The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on how to achieve complete disengagement and resolve the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of India-China border areas,” it added.

After the meeting, India and China agreed to open diplomatic and military channels open to uphold peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas.