CHINA APPOINTS SENIOR WOMAN DIPLOMAT AS ASEAN ENVOY By Tham Choy Lin

BEIJING, Dec 30 (Bernama) - China has appointed Xue Hanqin, a senior woman diplomat and international law expert, as its first envoy to Asean.

"Ambassador Xue's appointment as the Chinese ambassador to Asean will play
an important role in promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation in extensive
fields," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang announced Tuesday at a regular
media briefing.

Qin said the appointment will be "temporarily non-permanent".

Xue was formerly ambassador to the Netherlands and permanent representative
to the Organization on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

She had also served as the international law director-general in the Foreign
Ministry.

China said in July that it would appoint an envoy to Asean, the grouping of
10 Southeast Asian nations as Beijing strengthens its international diplomacy by
appointing envoys to regions including to the European Union and for African
affairs.

Ties between China and Asean had grown rapidly since they became dialogue
partners in 1991 and launched a free trade agreement between them in 2003.

Asean comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
-- BERNAMA