Deutsche Welle reported today: This Friday (May 16), the British government officially appointed Peter Wilson (Chinese name "Wei Lei") as the new British Ambassador to China.
This August, he will officially succeed the current ambassador Carole Ware and take office.
Peter Wilson's father, David Wilson, was the second-to-last Governor of Hong Kong during the British colonial rule from 1987 to 1992.
According to the introduction on the UK Foreign Office website, Peter Wilson himself once worked at the British Embassy in China, serving as a political counselor from 2007 to 2010. From 1995 to 1998, he also worked for several years as a diplomatic attaché.
Reuters reported that Wilson, who is proficient in Chinese, will shoulder one of the most challenging positions in British diplomacy.
In his post after being appointed, Wilson wrote: "I first went to Beijing in 1981, then lived there for a few years in the 1990s and the 2000s. I am honored to return to China as the British Ambassador in August, leading our team in China at this important time for the globe and promoting contacts with China for the benefit of the UK."
For many years, Sino-British relations have been tense due to issues such as Hong Kong. After London imposed restrictions on investment from China, bilateral relations further deteriorated. Last year, the Labour Party tried to change the situation by strengthening diplomatic engagement. The Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Foreign Secretary visited China successively.
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832269852625924/
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