Beijing, March 20 (NationPress) On Friday, China expressed its approval of Vikram Doraiswami's recent appointment as India's Ambassador to China, emphasizing its anticipation for his constructive contribution towards the ongoing enhancement and expansion of bilateral relations.

During a regular press conference in Beijing, Lin Jian, the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, conveyed China's willingness to assist Doraiswami as he transitions into his new position in China.

"Diplomatic representatives serve as vital conduits for fostering amicable cooperation and relations between nations. China is pleased to welcome Vikram Doraiswami as the new Indian Ambassador, and we are prepared to support him in fulfilling his responsibilities in China. We look forward to his significant role in advancing the continual improvement and development of China-India relations," the spokesperson remarked when asked about the implications of Doraiswami's appointment.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had announced on Thursday that Doraiswami, who is currently serving as the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom, will take on the role of Ambassador to China shortly.

A seasoned Indian Foreign Service officer from the 1992 batch, Doraiswami is expected to begin his new assignment soon.

He was appointed as India's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in August 2022 after previously serving as India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh.

Doraiswami is proficient in Chinese, French, and some Korean. At the beginning of his diplomatic journey, he worked at the Indian Embassy in Beijing for almost four years.

Following his in-service training in New Delhi from 1992 to 1993, Doraiswami was assigned to the Commission of India in Hong Kong as Third Secretary in May 1994. He studied Chinese and earned an elective diploma in the language at the New Asia Yale-in-Asia language school, affiliated with the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He later served at the Embassy of India in Beijing starting September 1996 for nearly four years.

The current Indian Ambassador to China is Pradeep Kumar Rawat, an Indian Foreign Service member since 1990. Ambassador Rawat also opted to learn Mandarin as his foreign language, having served in Hong Kong and Beijing from 1992 to 1997.

Ambassador Rawat began his second tenure in Beijing in 2003 as Counsellor and concluded in 2007 as Deputy Chief of Mission before being appointed as India’s Ambassador to China in December 2021.

India and China are striving to further enhance their bilateral relationship through increased people-to-people interactions and by addressing concerns regarding sensitive issues.

Last month, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and China’s Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu engaged in the India-China Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi, where they discussed global and regional situations along with various multilateral matters.

According to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, "Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri engaged in the India-China Strategic Dialogue with Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, who visited India to participate in the BRICS Sherpa Meeting. Both parties reviewed the positive trajectory in bilateral relations and explored avenues to further enhance ties through increased people-to-people exchanges while addressing sensitive issues. They also exchanged insights on global and regional situations and various multilateral topics."