Du Wei
Chinese Ambassador to Israel
In office
15 February 2020 – 17 May 2020
Preceded byZhan Yongxin
Succeeded byCai Run
Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine
In office
June 2016 – December 2019
Preceded byZhang Xiyun
Succeeded byFan Xianrong
Personal details
Born(1962-10-02)2 October 1962
Zhucheng, Shandong, China
Died17 May 2020(2020-05-17) (aged 57)A
Herzliya, Israel
Alma materUniversity of International Relations
OccupationDiplomat, politician
Du Wei
Traditional Chinese杜偉
Simplified Chinese杜伟

Du Wei (Chinese: 杜伟; 2 October 1962[1] – 17 May 2020A) was a Chinese diplomat who served as Ambassador to Ukraine from 2016 until 2019 and Ambassador to Israel from February 2020 until May 2020.[2] Du was born in China's Shandong province and worked as a career diplomat.[3]

Career

Before his first overseas appointment, Du worked as the deputy director general of the Policy Planning Department of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[1]

Du served as the Chinese ambassador to Ukraine from 2016 to 2020.[4] During his tenure in Ukraine, he met with Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Vadym Prystaiko in an effort to expand the relationship between the two countries.[5] He was responsible for a technical assistance program in which the Chinese government gave special equipment to the State Emergency Services in Ukraine.[6] He was also involved in negotiations following a blocked take-over of Ukrainian defense company Motor Sich by a Chinese company.[7][8]

He assumed his Israeli post in February 2020, with an initial two-week quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic.[9][10] He submitted his credentials to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin virtually due to the pandemic.[3][11]

Personal life

Du was married and had a son.[12]

Death

Du was found dead in his Herzliya apartment on 17 May 2020.A[13] His death came in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a few days after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Israel, during which he assailed China and tried to pressure Israel to curb Chinese investments.[2][14] These circumstances have led to various conspiracy theories about the cause of his death.[15]

The day after, China announced that it would send an investigative team to conduct an internal investigation into the ambassador's death,[16] but later walked back the decision.[17]

As there were no signs of violence at the scene and no residues of poison, alcohol or drugs in Du's blood, Israeli medical sources believe he died of cardiac arrest in his sleep. The Chinese Foreign Ministry declared that he had died of "health reasons".[17]

Notes

^A His body was found on the morning of 17 May[4] but his exact date of death has not been reported.

References

  1. 1 2 "Biography of Ambassador Du Wei". il.china-embassy.org. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  2. 1 2 Israel, David (17 May 2020). "Chinese Ambassador Found Dead in Herzliya". The Jewish Press. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Chinese ambassador to Israel found dead at Herzliya residence". The Times of Israel. 17 May 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  4. 1 2 Halbfinger, David M.; Rasgon, Adam (17 May 2020). "Chinese Ambassador Is Found Dead at Home in Israel". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  5. ↑ Kitsoft (12 November 2019). "Vadym Prystaiko received Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Ukraine Du Wei". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ukraine). Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  6. ↑ Interfax-Ukraine (17 December 2016). "Ukrainian emergency response groups receive 25 equipment units from China". Kyiv Post. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  7. ↑ Laurenson, Jack (17 June 2018). "Chinese takeover of Ukraine aerospace firm still up in the air". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  8. ↑ Nuttall, Clare (12 September 2019). Written at Glasgow. "When Chinese deals turn sour". Berlin: bne IntelliNews. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  9. ↑ Liebermann, Oren (17 May 2020). "Chinese ambassador to Israel is found dead in his home". CNN. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  10. ↑ Eichner, Itamar (17 May 2020). "China's ambassador to Israel found dead in his apartment in Herzliya". Ynet. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  11. ↑ "Chinese ambassador to Israel found dead at home". BBC News. 17 May 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  12. ↑ "China's ambassador to Israel Du Wei found dead at home". The National. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  13. ↑ Beeri, Tamar; Harkov, Lahav (17 May 2020). "Chinese ambassador to Israel found dead in Herzliya home". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  14. ↑ "Chinese ambassador to Israel found dead in Tel Aviv home". Deutsche Welle. 17 May 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  15. ↑ Frantzman, Seth J. (17 May 2020). "Conspiracies after China ambassador death comes amid US-China tensions". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  16. ↑ Landau, Noa (18 May 2020). "China to Send Team to Investigate Death of Ambassador to Israel". Haaretz. Tel Aviv: Haaretz Group. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  17. 1 2 "Israel holds ceremony for the late Chinese ambassador Du Wei". Israel Hayom. Israel Hayom. 21 May 2020. Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
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