New Delhi: India has appointed senior diplomat Vikram Doraiswami as the country’s next Ambassador to China, in a significant diplomatic move aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two Asian powers.
Doraiswami, a 1992-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, is currently serving as India’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. According to an official statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), he is expected to assume his new responsibilities in Beijing shortly.
He will succeed Pradeep Kumar Rawat, who has been serving as India’s ambassador to China since 2022. Doraiswami brings considerable diplomatic experience to the post, including prior exposure to China. His first oversea
s posting was in Hong Kong in 1994, where he studied Mandarin at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He later served at the Indian Embassy in Beijing for nearly four years beginning in 1996.
Over the course of his career, Doraiswami has held several important diplomatic assignments, including postings as ambassador to Uzbekistan and South Korea, and High Commissioner to Bangladesh before his appointment to the UK in 2022.
Appointment Comes Amid Efforts to Stabilise Ties
The appointment comes at a time when India and China are working to stabilise their relationship following the prolonged military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh that began in 2020.
The decision to appoint a senior and experienced diplomat to Beijing is being viewed as part of India’s broader diplomatic efforts to manage complex ties with its neighbour while maintaining strategic engagement.
Doraiswami is regarded as one of India’s seasoned diplomats, and his experience in handling sensitive foreign policy assignments is expected to play an important role in managing India-China relations in the coming years.