Reo Appointed as New Ambassador to China, Former Foreign Vice Minister Known as 'China Expert'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyunjung] The new Russian ambassador to China, Igor Morgulov, Deputy Foreign Minister, has been appointed, the Russian Embassy in China announced on the 13th via Chinese social media Weibo.

Having worked at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1991, the newly appointed Ambassador Morgulov has also served in China, the United States, and Japan. From 2006 to 2009, he served as Minister-Counselor at the Russian Embassy in China. He was appointed Deputy Foreign Minister in December 2011 and also serves as Russia's chief representative on North Korean nuclear issues.

According to the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), a non-profit academic and diplomatic think tank, the new ambassador is fluent in both Chinese and English. In an interview with a media outlet last April, he mentioned, "For 30 years, Russia has consistently pursued a diplomatic policy of maintaining a strategic partnership with China."

China's state-run Global Times, citing expert analysis, evaluated this appointment as indicating that Russia highly values its strategic relationship with China. Yang Jin, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European, and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, described Ambassador Morgulov as a "perfect China expert," stating, "His appointment as ambassador to China shows how much Russia values maintaining strategic relations and deepening Sino-Russian cooperation."

Ding Shaoxing, director of the Eurasian Studies Institute, also argued, "As international tensions escalate, Russia is pursuing a foreign strategy to deepen cooperation with China, India, and others," adding, "With Russia's strategic adjustment, continuing to deepen Sino-Russian relations has become the most important mission of the ambassador to China."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.