China has appointed Cai Run, its ambassador to Israel and former representative do Portugal, to be its next envoy to the European Union.
A career diplomat, Cai Run is due to take up the post in September and will replace Fu Cong, who left Brussels to become Beijing’s ambassador to the UN in New York four months ago.
Run has been stationed in Tel Aviv since 2021, having been China’s envoy to Portugal between 2015 and 2020 and, among a number of postings in Beijing, was minister counselor at the country’s embassy in the United States for several years.
The diplomat returns to Europe at a crucial moment for relations between the EU and China, which have plummeted due to Beijing’s alleged support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Cai will also have to deal with a growing series of trade disputes, with the European Commission imposing tariffs of up to 38.1% on imports of electric vehicles made in China, alleging widespread state subsidies in its supply chain.
Run’s appointment will be approved by the European External Action Service, the EU’s diplomatic service.
The Chinese diplomat arrives in Brussels at a time of change, following the election of Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as President of the European Commission and at a time when other top posts are changing.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas will be the bloc’s new head of diplomacy and former Portuguese President António Costa, whose term coincided with Cai’s in Lisbon, will be the next president of the European Council.
