New Chinese Ambassador assumes office

Monday, 31 August 2026 00:20 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

New Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Wei Huaxiang last week assumed office, replacing outgoing Ambassador Qi Zhenhong.

Wei presented his credentials to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

“Now it’s time to get to work,” said the new Ambassador in a message on the Embassy’s Facebook.

Following the presentation of his credentials, the Ambassador paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath who said “discussions focused on the longstanding friendship between our two countries and means of further strengthening bilateral relations across a multitude of areas. I wished Ambassador Wei a successful tenure in Sri Lanka.”

Wei’s background heavily emphasises economic administration, political economy, and trade regulations. He was the Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (2022-2025). He served as Beijing’s top envoy to southern Vietnam, handling extensive trade, investment, and bilateral economic portfolios between Chinese institutions and Vietnamese commercial hubs.

He served within the Foreign Affairs Ministry as an official handling critical regional engagements, including major cross-border economic projects like the Mes Aynak copper initiative.

He rose through senior departmental positions in China’s Ministry of Commerce, specialising in global economic policy, market order regulation, and international trade barriers. He also served as a senior administrative official in the Provincial Government of Shandong, directly coordinating regional commerce, development strategies, and international cooperation platforms.

Earlier in his career, Wei focused on digital trade infrastructure and economic regulation.

He completed his doctoral studies in 2004 at the prestigious Graduate School of the Central Party School. He has published academic works covering China’s integration into the World Trade Organisation (WTO), multinational corporate governance, and balance-of-payments policies.