Late Friday, Prince Albert received the Letters of Credence from His Excellency Jinjun Zhao, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Principality of Monaco.

Once the Letters of Credence had been submitted, the Prince held private talks with the Chinese Ambassador.

A native of Shandong (a coastal province in eastern China) and a graduate from the Peking University of Foreign Languages, Mr Zhao held positions in Belgium, in the Department of Western Europe in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and later in France where he occupied various posts before being appointed Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Paris.

In February this year, Prince Albert welcomed H.E. Li Zhaoxing, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, to the Palace during an official visit to the Principality.

At their meeting, the Prince and the Foreign Affairs Minister discussed the strengthening of diplomatic relations between both States, which has now materialised with the accreditation of Zhao as Ambassador to the Principality.

The next step in strengthening such relations should be the appointment of an Honorary Consul of Monaco in Beijing.

Mr Zhao is the fourth Ambassador to have been accredited within the Principality of Monaco, following the Ambassadors of France, Italy and the Apostolic Nuncio representing the Holy See.