China’s new ambassador Xu Feihong arrives in Delhi

NEW DELHI: China’s new ambassador to India Xu Feihong arrived in Delhi after the position remained vacant for nearly 18 months, the longest such gap in over four decades.

China is ready to work with India to “accommodate” each other’s concerns and find a mutually acceptable solution to “specific issues” through dialogue at an early date, Xu said, in remarks that came against the backdrop of the prolonged military standoff in eastern Ladakh.

Sixty-year-old Xu succeeds veteran diplomat Sun Weidong who left India after completing his tenure in India in October 2022.

His arrival in India comes amid protracted military and diplomatic negotiations between Beijing and New Delhi to resolve the military standoff in eastern Ladakh.

“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,” Xu told news agency and China’s state-run CGTN-TV in a media interaction in Beijing before leaving for New Delhi.

“China is ready to work with India to accommodate each other’s concerns, find a mutually acceptable solution to specific issues through dialogue at an early date, and turn the page as soon as possible,” Xu said without elaborating further.

Xu previously served as China’s Ambassador to Afghanistan and Romania, besides senior cadre-level postings in the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).

In a brief statement, the Chinese embassy in Delhi said Xu arrived in New Delhi to assume office.