On the early morning of May 21, 2020, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi went to the Beijing Capital International Airport to pay his last respects to the remains of Chinese Ambassador to Israel Du Wei who had unfortunately passed away a few days ago in Tel Aviv, and then brought him home.

The Foreign Ministry held a brief solemn ceremony at the airport. After presenting a wreath to Ambassador Du Wei’s coffin, Wang Yi bowed three times and observed a moment of silence, together with Du Wei’s family and staffers of the Foreign Ministry.

Wang Yi expressed deep condolences to the unfortunate passing of Ambassador Du Wei during his tenure, and extended sincere sympathy to his family. Wang Yi noted, Comrade Du Wei was our good colleague and comrade-in-arms. As a diplomatic envoy, he fought for national interests to his last moments and devoted himself to the cause of China’s diplomacy. We will always remember and miss him.

On the morning of May 20, local time, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a farewell ceremony for the remains of Ambassador Du Wei at the Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport. Senior officials from the Israeli President’s Office, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as heads of missions in Israel were present at the ceremony.

Ambassador Du Wei, born in October, 1962 in Zhucheng, Shandong Province, served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Ukraine from 2016 to 2019. In February 2020, he was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the State of Israel.