Sun Weidong

Chinese diplomat (born 1966)
Sun Weidong
孙卫东
Sun in 2024
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 November 2022
Serving with Ma Zhaoxu, Deng Li, Hua Chunying
MinisterWang Yi
Qin Gang
Wang Yi
Chinese Ambassador to India
In office
July 2019 – October 2022
Preceded byLuo Zhaohui
Succeeded byXu Feihong
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan
In office
June 2013 – October 2017
Preceded byLiu Jian
Succeeded byYao Jing
Personal details
BornSeptember 1966 (age 57)
Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
Political partyChinese Communist Party
SpouseBao Jiqing
Children1
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese孫衛東
Simplified Chinese孙卫东
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinSūn Wèidōng

Sun Weidong (Chinese: 孙卫东; born September 1966) is a Chinese diplomat who serves as vice-minister of Foreign Affairs since 15 November 2022.[1] He previously served as Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan (2013-2017) and India (2019-2022).[2][3]

Early life

Sun Weidong was born in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, in September 1966. From 1989 to 1996 he taught at China Foreign Affairs University.[1]

Diplomatic career

He joined the Foreign Service in 1996 and has served primarily in Southeast Asia. From 2005 to 2008 he was counsellor of Chinese Embassy in India.[4] After returning to China he was appointed deputy director of Asia Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He served as the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan from 2013 through 2017. Then he was director of the Department of Policy Planning of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ambassador to India (2019-2022)

Sun presenting his credentials to President of India Ram Nath Kovind (2019)

In 2019, 13th Standing Committee of the National People's Congress appointed him Chinese Ambassador to India, replacing Luo Zhaohui.[5] On 28 August 2019, he along with ambassadors of three other countries presented their credentials to President of India Ram Nath Kovind.[6]

Sun's tenure as ambassador witnessed the worsening of relations between China and India following the border skirmishes between Indian and Chinese troops in June 2020 near Galwan Valley, resulting in the deaths of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. In the aftermath of the border clashes, the Government of India banned 59 Chinese mobile apps and placed restrictions on Chinese economic investments in India.[7][8] In an interview with the Press Trust of India on 25 June 2020, Sun stated that “mutual respect and support is a sure way and meets the long-term interests of both countries; suspicion and friction is a wrong path and goes against the fundamental aspiration of the two peoples” and then proceeded to blame the Indian side for instigating the border clash stating the onus to resolve border tensions was not on China.[9][10]

During the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in India in 2021 when China provided medical equipment to India, Sun stated that "China was not absent or sat back apathetically" which was seen as a dig towards the United States who was a key partner of India but was slow in reaching out during the second wave of the pandemic.[11] Sun served this position till October 2022.[12] During his farewell ceremony, he stated that “if the western theory of geopolitics is applied to China-India relationship, then major neighbouring countries like us will inevitably view each other as threats and rivals” which was seen as a cautionary remark against the West. While at the same time, he stated that "when China and India maintain stability and development, it means that two-fifths of the world’s population has access to development opportunities. The healthy development of China-India relations will bring more stability and certainty to the world."[13]

Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs (2022-present)

On 15 November 2022, he was appointed vice-minister of Foreign Affairs.[1] On May 2023, he summoned then Japanese ambassador to China Hideo Tarumi to protest after the heads of state at 49th G7 summit in Hiroshima issued statement regarding rising tensions in South China Sea and Taiwan Strait as well as the human rights situations in China, including in Tibet and Xinjiang.[14] On January 2024, he visited North Korea where he met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Korea Choe Son-hui. During his meeting with Choe, both China and North Korea pledged to strengthen strategic communications "at all levels" and reaffirmed "unswerving stance" on deepening ties.[15] On June 2024, he met with First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha and during the meeting, Sybiha urged China to send delegation to the June 2024 Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland from June 15 to June 16. In a transcript of the meeting released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China stated the two sides "exchanged views on the Ukrainian crisis and international and regional issues of common concern" but made no mention of Sybiha's request for China to attend the summit.[16]

Personal life

Sun is married to Bao Jiqing (包吉氢), who is a distinguished researcher at the Center for South Asian Studies in Institute of International Relations at Tsinghua University, and worked as a teaching assistant and lecturer at the English Department of China Foreign Affairs University from 1991 to 2001. The couple have a daughter.[1][17]

Foreign honors

References

  1. ^ a b c d "孙卫东任外交部副部长". 中国经济网. 2022-11-15. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  2. ^ 中国驻印度大使孙卫东：落实共识，妥处分歧，推动中印关系重回正确轨道. sina (in Chinese). 2020-07-10. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  3. ^ "孙卫东大使向印度外交使团团长、厄立特里亚大使阿莱姆·策海耶·沃尔德马里亚姆离任辞行". Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of India. 2022-10-19. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
  4. ^ Tian Li (田丽) (26 July 2007). 邓小刚会见我驻尼泊尔大使和驻印度使馆参赞. sina (in Chinese). Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  5. ^ 国家主席习近平任免驻外大使. xinhuanet (in Chinese). 2019-08-08. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  6. ^ Press Trust of India (2019-08-28). "Envoys of 4 nations including China present credentials to President Kovind". India Today. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  7. ^ "Ban on Chinese apps, including TikTok, surprises India content makers". BBC. 2020-07-01. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  8. ^ Baba, Moyuru (2021-01-13). "India's imports from China drop 20% as border tensions simmer". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  9. ^ Deol, Taran (2020-06-26). "'Misinformation & propaganda tool': PTI gets slammed for interview with China's Sun Weidong". The Print. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  10. ^ "India, China willing & able to properly manage differences: Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong". The Print. 2020-06-25. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  11. ^ Roche, Elizabeth (2021-06-09). "China one of the first nations to offer help to India during 2nd covid wave: Sun Weidong". The Mint. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  12. ^ PTI (2022-10-22). "Chinese Envoy Sun Weidong 3-Year-Old India Tenure Ends". Outlook. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
  13. ^ Joshua, Anita (2022-10-26). "China envoy's parting shot: Don't toe the West line". Telegraph India. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  14. ^ "China summons Japanese ambassador over actions at G-7". The Asahi Shimbun. 2023-05-22. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  15. ^ "North Korea, China agree to defend common interests as senior envoys meet". Reuters. 2024-01-27. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  16. ^ "Ukrainian official in Beijing urges China to attend peace summit". Reuters. 2024-06-05. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  17. ^ "南亚研究中心". Institute of International Relations, Tsinghua University. Archived from the original on 2022-11-15. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  18. ^ Khan, Raza (2017-10-09). "Outgoing Chinese ambassador conferred Hilal-e-Pakistan award". People's Daily. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Liu Jian
 Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan
2013–2017 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chinese Ambassador to India
2019–2022 		Succeeded by