Indian envoy to China presents credentials to President Xi Jinping

Pradeep Kumar Rawat, an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the 1990 batch, speaks fluent Mandarin and was previously India's ambassador to the Netherlands

Indian Ambassador to Beijing Pradeep Kumar Rawat presented his credentials to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, the official media reported.

President Xi received the credentials of 70 ambassadors to China, including Rawat, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The US envoy to China, Robert Nicholas Burns was also among the ambassadors who presented credentials to Xi, also General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China.

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Rawat succeeded Vikram Misri as India’s envoy to Beijing in March 2022.

An Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the 1990 batch, Rawat was previously India's ambassador to the Netherlands.

Rawat's appointment came in the midst of the lingering eastern Ladakh border standoff.

The two countries held 18 rounds of military-level talks to resolve the issue.

Earlier in his diplomatic career, Rawat served in Hong Kong and Beijing. Rawat served as the ambassador of India to Indonesia and Timor-Leste from September 2017-December 2020.

He speaks fluent Mandarin.

Xi also received the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Zhang Ming. Before his appointment as SCO Secretary-General Zhang served as a senior diplomat of China.

In his speech welcoming the Ambassadors, Xi said China is ready to deepen friendship and expand mutually beneficial cooperation with people of other countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit and push forward bilateral relations.

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It is hoped that ambassadors will have a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of China and serve as envoys of friendship and bridges of cooperation, he said.

The Chinese government will provide support and convenience for ambassadors to perform their duties, he said.

Over the past three years, China has come a long way in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic by putting people and lives first. In this process, China has received sincere help from many countries and peoples, he said.

China has also taken concrete actions to fully support the global fight against Covid-19, worked with other countries to implement the vision of building a global community of health for all, and strengthened the bond of mutual assistance and shared destiny, he said.

China has embarked on a new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects, and will promote national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernisation, Xi said.

China will stay committed to the path of peaceful development, adhere to the national policy of opening-up, firmly pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening-up, and create more opportunities for the world through its own development, he said.

China is willing to work with the international community to promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, (GDI). the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Civilization Initiative, (GCI) proposed by him.

The three advocate the common values of humanity, promote mutual understanding and amity among people of all countries, jointly cope with various global challenges, and make continuous progress towards building a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said, Xinhua reported.