The Chinese government has decided to appoint Wu Sike, former Chinese Ambassador to Egypt, as special envoy to the Middle East issue to replace Ambassador Sun Bigan, announced Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang in Beijing Thursday.

Ambassador Wu is a senior diplomat who is well-learned on the Middle East issue, said Qin. Wu has been director of the Department of West Asian and North African Affairs of Foreign Ministry, Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and also the first Chinese plenipotentiary to the League of Arab States (LAS).

Wu is also an incumbent member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), according to Qin.

Ambassador Wu will carry out the Chinese government's policy on the Middle East issue, continue to maintain close contacts with the concerned parties and promote negotiations and reconciliation in a bid to push forward the Middle East peace process, said Qin.

In the past three years, the former special envoy Sun Bigan has made efforts to expedite the peace process and development of the Middle East, said Qin, adding Sun has also played a positive role in promoting the relations between China and the Middle East countries.

(Xinhua News Agency March 19, 2009)