Sun Yuxi

Sun Yuxi
孙玉玺
Sun Yuxi in 2014
Chinese Ambassador to Poland
In office
2010–2012
Preceded bySun Rongmin
Succeeded byXu Jian
Chinese Ambassador to Italy
In office
2008–2010
Preceded byDong Jinyi
Succeeded byDing Wei
Chinese Ambassador to India
In office
2005–2007
Preceded byHua Junduo
Succeeded byZhang Yan
Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan
In office
2002–2005
Preceded byHuang Mingda
Succeeded byLiu Jian
Deputy Director of the Foreign Ministry Information Department of China
In office
1998–2002
Personal details
BornOctober 1951 (age 74)
Alma materBeijing Foreign Studies University
London School of Economics

Sun Yuxi (Chinese: 孙玉玺; pinyin: Sūn Yùxǐ) (born October 1951) is a Chinese diplomat. He was Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Afghanistan (2002–2005), India (2005–2007), Italy (2008–2010) and Poland (2010–2012). He was spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China and deputy director of its information department.[1]

Early life

Sun was born on 1951 in Harbin. He studied at Harbin No. 3 Middle School and in 1973, he entered Beijing Foreign Studies University as a worker-peasant-soldier student to study English . After graduation, he was sent to the London School of Economics to study international relations.[2]

Diplomatic career

In 1979, following his entry into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Sun served as a staff member at the Chinese embassy in France. Between 1981 and 1988, he held various roles in the Asian Affairs Department of the ministry, progressing from staff member to third secretary, deputy director and first secretary. From 1988 to 1991, he served as director of the political section at the Chinese embassy in Pakistan, followed by a role from 1991 to 1993 as Assistant Representative to the Supreme National Council of Cambodia and counselor at the Chinese embassy in Cambodia. Between 1993 and 1995, he returned to the ministry as counselor and director in the Asian Affairs department. From 1995 to 1998, he was appointed counselor with the rank of ministry at the Chinese embassy in South Korea.[2]

From 1998 to 2002, Sun served as deputy director-general of the Information Department and spokesperson for the ministry. In 2002, after disclosures that Chinese military had discovered that the interior of the presidential jet delivered to China from the United States contained listening devices, Sun stated that the case would not have any impact on other issues, which according to The New York Times, was an "effort to play down an episode that many had predicted would lead to a diplomatic crisis."[2][3]

In 2002, he was appointed as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan following the reopening of the Chinese embassy after the overthrow of Taliban following the United States invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.[4] He served this position until 2004.[2] In 2005, he was appointed as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of India.[2] In 2006, during an interview with Indian television prior to President of China Hu Jintao's visit to China, Sun asserted that the whole of Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh is Chinese territory. In response to Sun's remarks, Minister of External Affairs of India Pranab Mukherjee stated that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India.[5] In 2008, his tenure as ambassador to India ended and he was appointed as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Italy and San Marino, a position which he served until 2010.[2]

From 2010 to 2012, he served as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Poland.[2] In July 2014, he was appointed special envoy of the ministry for Afghan Affairs. In September 2015, he resigned from the post.[6][7]

Personal life

Sun is married and has a daughter.[8]

Awards and decorations

References

  1. ^ 中华人民共和国外交 部. "中国驻意大利历任大使". 中华人民共和国外交部. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "新任中国驻波兰特命全权大使孙玉玺先生简介" [Brief Introduction of Mr. Sun Yuxi, the New Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Poland]. plchinese.com (in Chinese). 2010-04-29. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  3. ^ Rosenthal, Elizabeth (2002-09-23). "Espionage? By the U.S.? China Prefers To Stay Quiet". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  4. ^ "Chinese Embassy in Kabul Expected to Soon". China Daily. china.org.cn. 2002-01-10. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  5. ^ Narayanan, Raviprasad (2006-11-22). "For China, boundary matters regardless of leadership". Rediff. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  6. ^ Topychkanov, Petr (2025-05-28). "Secret Meeting Brings Taliban to China". Carnegie Endowment. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  7. ^ "外交部证实任命阿富汗特使 支持当地和解进程" [Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms appointment of special envoy to Afghanistan to support local reconciliation process]. China Daily. China News. 2025-11-04. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  8. ^ Walewska, Danuta (2011-07-25). "Sprawa Covecu nie popsuła stosunków polsko-chińskich" [The Covec case did not spoil Polish-Chinese relations]. Rzeczpospolita (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  9. ^ "Yuxi S.E. Sun". quirinale.it (in Italian). 2010-03-04. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  10. ^ "Postanowienie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 3 lipca 2012 r. o nadaniu orderu". isap.sejm.gov.pl (in Polish). 2012-12-12. Retrieved 2025-09-10.