Mr. Gong Dafei, born in Laiyang County of Shandong Province in February 1917, served as vice minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic ofChinafrom November 1979 to August 1984.

Before the founding of the People's Republic ofChinain 1949, he had long been taking leading posts of the Press Office of the Central Military Region and Central & Southern Military Region as well as the Sub-office of Xinhua News Agency inShandongRevolutionary Base.After joining in the foreign service in 1950, he was first secretary of the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar, assistant director of the Department of West Asian & North African Affairs (from 1956 to 1959), deputy director-general of the Department of West Asian & North African Affairs (from 1956 to 1960 and 1963 to 1970 respectively), counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Morocco (from 1960 to 1962), Chinese ambassador to Iraq (from December 1970 to January 1973), first Chinese ambassador to Zaire (from January 1973 to July 1978), assistant minister of the Foreign Affairs (from 1978 to November 1979).He was sent toKuwaitas Chinese representative for negotiations on the establishment of diplomatic relations of the two countries.As vice minister of Foreign Affairs, he was in charge of the General Office and African affairs.He visitedCameroonand Sao Tome & Principe in 1981; in 1983, he paid a good-will working visit toAngolaand a visit toGabonand theRepublicofCongo, and attended the assumption ceremony of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of theRepublicofMaldivesas the special envoy of the Chinese Government prior to a visit toSri Lanka.He went to New Deli for the 4thround of talks on border issue with Indian officials in November 1983, and signed on behalf of the Chinese Government the Joint Communiqué of Sino-Indian Border Issue Talks inBeijingin April 1984.He also headed the Chinese Delegation for the 2ndInternational Conference on UN's Aids to African Refugees in July 1984.

He accompanied Premier Zhao Ziyang for visits to 10 African countries in 1981, and President Li Xiannian for visits to 6 European and Asian countries in 1984.He assumed the post of President of China-African Friendship Association in 1988.

He was member of the 7thNational Committee of CPPCC, and advisor of the Foreign Ministry from August 1984 to August 1986.