Du Wei (; 2 October 196217 May 2020) was a Chinese
diplomat
A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...
Shandong
Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural ...
province and worked as a career diplomat.
Career
Before his first overseas appointment, Du worked as the deputy director general of the Policy Planning Department of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Du served as the Chinese
ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...
to Ukraine from 2016 to 2020. During his tenure in Ukraine, he met with Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister
Vadym Prystaiko
Vadym Volodymyrovych Prystaiko (, ; born 20 February 1970) is a Ukrainian diplomat who was Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom. He was appointed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 20 July 2020 and held the position until he was dismissed ...
in an effort to expand the relationship between the two countries. He was responsible for a technical assistance program in which the
Chinese government
The government of the People's Republic of China is based on a system of people's congress within the parameters of a Unitary state, unitary communist state, in which the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) enacts its policies through people's ...
gave special equipment to the State Emergency Services in Ukraine. He was also involved in negotiations following a blocked take-over of Ukrainian defense company
Motor Sich
The Motor Sich, Joint Stock Company () is a Ukrainian aircraft engine manufacturer headquartered in Zaporizhzhia. The company manufactures engines for airplanes and helicopters as well as industrial marine gas turbines and installations.
Ov ...
by a Chinese company.
He assumed his Israeli post in February 2020, with an initial two-week
quarantine
A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have bee ...
due to the
coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. He submitted his credentials to Israeli President
Reuven Rivlin
Reuven "Ruvi" Rivlin ( ; born 9 September 1939) is an Israeli politician and lawyer who served as the president of Israel between 2014 and 2021. He is a member of the Likud party. Rivlin was Minister of Communications from 2001 to 2003, and su ...
virtually due to the pandemic.
Personal life
Du was married and had a son.
Death
Du was found dead in his
Herzliya
Herzliya ( ; , / ) is an affluent List of Israeli cities, city in the Israeli coastal plain, central coast of Israel, at the northern part of the Tel Aviv District, known for its robust start-up and entrepreneurial culture. In it had a populatio ...
apartment on 17 May 2020. His death came in the middle of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, and a few days after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Israel, during which he assailed China and tried to pressure Israel to curb Chinese investments. These circumstances have led to various conspiracy theories about the cause of his death.
The day after, China announced that it would send an investigative team to conduct an internal investigation into the ambassador's death, but later walked back the decision.
As there were no signs of violence at the scene and no residues of poison, alcohol or drugs in Du's blood, Israeli medical sources believe he died of
cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...
in his sleep. The Chinese Foreign Ministry declared that he had died of "health reasons".
Notes
His body was found on the morning of 17 May but his exact date of death has not been reported.