ambassador
China’s Ambassador Meets US Defense Official for Talks on Lack of Military Communication
China’s ambassador to the U.S. on Thursday met with Ely Ratner—an assistant secretary of defense and Washington’s top defense official for Asia. The two officials talked about defense plus “a range of international and regional security issues,” according to the Pentagon Beijing’s refusal of open military communication in recent months was the main point of […]
China’s US Ambassador Touts Beijing’s ‘Democracy’
Beijing is trying to convince the world that it’s also a democracy and one that’s better than the U.S. China’s new ambassador to the U.S., Xie Feng, tried to convince an American audience of just that. He painted a vivid picture of China’s modernization and its so-called “advancements in human rights and democracy.” According to […]
Taiwan Recalls Ambassador as Honduras Switches Ties to China
TAIPEI, Taiwan—Taiwan says it has recalled its ambassador to Honduras amid moves by the Central American country to establish formal diplomatic ties with China. Taiwan and China have been locked in a battle for diplomatic recognition since the sides split amid civil war in 1949. Honduras President Xiomara Castro announced last week that her government […]
Biden Renominates Garcetti as Ambassador to India
WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden still wants former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who has been shadowed by a controversy over sexual harassment, to serve as his ambassador to India. He renominated Garcetti as the new congressional session began Tuesday. Garcetti was originally nominated several months after Biden took office, but he never received a vote of […]
Borscht Belt Comedian Freddie Roman Dies at Age 85
Comedian Freddie Roman, the former dean of The Friars Club and a staple of the Catskills comedy scene, has died. He was 85. Roman died Saturday afternoon at Bethesda Hospital in Boynton Beach, Florida, his booking agent and friend Alison Chaplin said Sunday. His daughter told the entertainment trade Deadline that he suffered a heart […]
US to Name Ambassador-at-Large for the Arctic
The United States plans to name an ambassador at large for the Arctic, reflecting the region’s growing strategic and commercial importance as its shrinking opens up new sea lanes and vast oil and mineral resources. Russia has reopened hundreds of Soviet-era military sites in the region, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday, a […]
4 Ambassadors to China Died Since 2021
Being a foreign ambassador is considered a prestigious job. But acting as ambassador to China could be something to think twice about. Four ambassadors to China have died since 2021. The latest death was Myanmar’s ambassador to China, U Myo Thant Pe, who died suddenly on Sunday in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming.
Burma’s Ambassador to China Dies Suddenly
BEIJING—Burma’s ambassador to China died suddenly on Sunday in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming, according to an obituary in Burma state media and diplomatic sources in Beijing. The obituary for Ambassador U Myo Thant Pe by Burma’s foreign ministry in a state newspaper on Monday did not specify his cause of death. Diplomats in […]
US Religious Freedom Ambassador Meets With Representatives of Religious Group Falun Gong
U.S. State Department officials met six representatives of the spiritual discipline Falun Gong on April 25 for an update on the decades-long ongoing persecution in China. The day marks the 23rd anniversary of a peaceful appeal dated back to 1999, when an estimated 10,000 adherents of Falun Gong, a meditation practice that was first introduced […]
Jamal Edwards, Who Nurtured UK Musical Talent, Dead at 31
LONDON—Jamal Edwards, a British music entrepreneur who helped launch the careers of artists including Ed Sheeran, Jessie J, and Stormzy, has died. He was 31. His mother, broadcaster Brenda Edwards, said Monday that her son died the day before after a sudden illness. She said the family was “completely devastated. He was the center of […]
Senate Confirms Ex-Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel as US Ambassador to Japan
The Senate confirmed former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel as U.S. ambassador to Japan in a middle-of-the night vote early Saturday that saw eight Republicans backing his nomination and three Democrats voting against. Emanuel, who also served as White House chief of staff for then-President Barack Obama, was confirmed after Senators voted 48–21 with Sens. Elizabeth […]
Slovenia’s Prime Minister Urges EU to Stand With Lithuania Against Chinese Pressure
BRUSSELS—The European Union must stand with Lithuania against Chinese pressure and not give in to trade threats, Slovenia’s prime minister said in a letter to fellow EU leaders, according to a copy seen by Reuters. The Chinese regime’s decision to withdraw its ambassador to Lithuania over a dispute about Taiwan was “reprehensible” and would hurt […]
Lithuania Recalls Its Ambassador From China
Lithuania no longer wants its ambassador to be in China. This comes after a disagreement with Beijing over Taiwan opening a de-facto embassy in Lithuania. But the European country says its embassy in China is operating normally despite their recall.
Jan Hecker, German Ambassador to China, Dies Just a Few Weeks Into His Posting
The German Ambassador to China, Jan Hecker, 54, died suddenly after only a few weeks in his position, according to a statement posted on the website of the German Embassy to China on Monday, Sept. 6. Hecker worked as a foreign policy adviser to German Chancellor Angela Merkel before taking up his ambassadorial posting in […]
Americans Not Being Turned Away From Kabul Airport: US Ambassador
American citizens are not being blocked from entering the U.S.-held airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, a U.S. official said Monday. “Claims that American citizens have been turned away or denied access to HKIA by Embassy staff or US Forces are false,” Ross Wilson, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, said in a statement. U.S. troops hold the Hamid […]