Gong Yuanxing

Gong was born in Shanghai in March 1952. After university, he was assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1975 to 1979, he worked as a staff member at the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of Niger. Upon returning to China in 1979, he joined the Translation Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1983, Gong pursued advanced studies in France at Bordeaux Montaigne University, University of Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3, and Sciences Po. He returned to China in 1985 and continued working in the Translation Office. Gong served as a counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of Chad from 1996 to 1997 and then at the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of Mali from 1997 to 2001. In 2001, he became the Chinese ambassador to Guinea, succeeding Shi Tongning. After returning to China in 2004, Gong briefly held the position of deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. He was then appointed as the Chinese ambassador to Morocco from 2005 to 2008.^[1] In 2009, Gong was named the Chinese ambassador to Senegal, taking over from Lu Shaye.^[2][3][4] He retired from the diplomatic service in August 2012.^{[citation needed]}