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Cong Peiwu (Chinese: 丛培武; pinyin: Cóng Péiwǔ; born May 1967) is a Chinese diplomat serving as Chinese Ambassador to Iran since 2024 and Chinese Ambassador to Canada between 2019 and 2024.

Biography

Cong once served as counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Britain. In 2014, he became head of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, replacing Xie Feng. On September 5, 2019, Geng Shuang confirmed that Cong would serve as Chinese Ambassador to Canada.

Career

Ambassador to Canada

On 15 October 2020, during an online press conference, Cong said "So if the Canadian side really cares about the stability and prosperity in Hong Kong, and really cares about the good health and safety of those 300,000 Canadian passport holders in Hong Kong, and the large number of Canadian companies operating in Hong Kong SAR, you should support those efforts to fight violent crimes." Asked if this was a threat to Canadians, he replied "That is your interpretation."

On 24 September 2021, Cong accompanied Huawei's deputy chairwoman and its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou to Vancouver International Airport to send her off aboard her repatriation flight back to Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, after over 1000 days under house arrest.

On 3 February 2023, Cong was summoned by officials of Global Affairs Canada amidst an incident of a balloon of Chinese origin crossing into Canadian and United States airspace eventually traversing the whole contiguous United States.

In April 2024, Cong left the position of Chinese ambassador to Canada after being reassigned to Iran.

Ambassador to Iran

In May 2024, Cong becomes the Chinese ambassador to Iran. He presented his credentials to Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on May 15, four days before Abdollahian died in a helicopter crash.

References

1. "China Urges Release of Huawei Exec With New Canadian Envoy". usnews.com. 5 September 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
2. Lu Zhenhua (18 July 2019). "Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang to take over US and Canada affairs office". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
3. "Beijing accuses Canada of being anti-China over envoy's Hong Kong 'threat'". South China Morning Post. 2020-10-19. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
4. "Ottawa tight-lipped on details as Canada, U.S. call out China over balloon". CTV News. February 3, 2023. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
5. "Chinese ambassador leaves posting in Canada as Ottawa pushes to improve ties".
6. "New Chinese ambassador presents credentials to Iran FM".

• 1967 births
• Living people
• China Foreign Affairs University alumni
• Ambassadors of China to Canada
• Chinese Communist Party politicians
• Diplomats of the People's Republic of China