PNN – Chinese diplomat Xu Feihong has started his work as the Chinese ambassador in New Delhi after 18 months of vacancy in the Chinese embassy in India due to border disputes.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, the Global Times newspaper reported that Xu Feihong arrived in New Delhi on Friday as China’s new ambassador to India, after the post had been vacant for a year and a half.
Xu was the Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan from 2011 to 2013 and served as the Chinese ambassador to Romania from 2015 to 2018.
Beijing hopes that the appointment of a new ambassador for India will be a valuable opportunity for both countries to strengthen communication, minimize misunderstandings and reduce misjudgments, and pave the way for the return of healthy and stable relations for the two countries.
Tensions between the two countries have risen since 2020 when Indian and Chinese forces clashed in a disputed border region in the Himalayas, killing at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers in June of that year.
According to reports, the forces of the two countries also clashed several times in 2022, but these clashes did not result in casualties.
Observers believe that the absence of the Chinese ambassador in New Delhi created a significant gap in communication channels at a time when bilateral relations have been strained by border disputes.
However, Beijing-Delhi relations are unlikely to improve quickly after the appointment of a new Chinese ambassador.