UNIS/BIO/635
7 March 2002

NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF CHINA
PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

VIENNA, 7 March (UN Information Service) – The new Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations (Vienna), Zhang Yan, presented his credentials on Thursday to Steinar B. Bjornsson, Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV), and the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (ODCCP).

Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Zhang was Ambassador to Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Between 1996 and 1998, he was Director-General of the Foreign Affairs Office of Yunnan Province. From 1995 to 1996 he served as Counselor at the Department of International Organizations and Conferences at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Before he was appointed First Secretary and Counselor at the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations in 1992, Mr. Zhang was First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland between 1990 and 1992.

Mr. Zhang joined China’s Foreign Service in 1978 as Attaché at the Chinese Embassy to the Republic of Liberia. Between 1983 and 1990, he was Deputy Director and Director at the Department of International Organizations and Conferences of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Zhang is a graduate of Beijing Foreign Studies University.

He is married with one child.

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