Shen Jian: China's new Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs, UN Geneva

Former Foreign Ministry Official Shen Jian (沈健) has become the new Deputy Representative of China’s Permanent Mission to Geneva and Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs. According to China’s Permanent Mission in Geneva, on 23 August, Ambassador Shen formally presented his credentials to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Tatiana Valovaya¹. Shen has replaced Ambassador Li Song (李松), who had been in the position since 2019².

Before taking up his new role, Shen had been serving as a Deputy Director-General of the Department of Arms Control within China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)³. He is experienced in issues relating to multilateral arms control, having spent over 20 years in a variety of related roles. Whilst an official version of Shen’s CV has not been provided, it was possible to approximate his career to date. See below.

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2001 – ?⁴ :  Attaché, Department of Arms Control and Disarmament, MFA

2005 – 2008⁵ ⁶: Deputy Division Director, Department of Arms Control and Disarmament, MFA (with experience in both conventional weapons division⁷ and nuclear division⁸)

2009 – 2010⁹ ¹⁰: Division Director, Arms Control and Disarmament Department, MFA

2011 – 2012¹¹ ¹²:  Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the Conference on Disarmament

2013 – ?¹³ : Counsellor, Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations in Geneva (last confirmed in role as late as 2014¹⁴)

2017 – 2021¹⁵ :  Counsellor, Department of Arms Control and Disarmament, MFA

2021 – 2023¹⁶ : Deputy Director-General, Department of Arms Control, MFA

2023 - Deputy Representative, Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations in Geneva and Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs

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Evidently, Shen brings a lot of experience with him to Geneva. Following his appointment, it will be interesting to see whether there will be any positive developments in multilateral arms control and disarmament, especially since US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s statement in June 2023 confirming that the US is now “ready to engage China without preconditions” as well as to “engage in new multilateral arms control efforts”¹⁷.

1. https://web.archive.org/web/20230825092610/http://geneva.china-mission.gov.cn/dbtxwx/202308/t20230825_11132484.htm

2. https://web.archive.org/web/20230825094531/https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/ziliao_665539/wjrw_665549/3607_665555/3615_665571/200410/t20041018_698461.html

3. https://web.archive.org/web/20230825075812/https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/web/wjb_673085/zzjg_673183/jks_674633/

4. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/445661?ln=en

5. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/573573?ln=en

6. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/624795?ln=en

7. https://web.archive.org/web/20230825131600/https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/08BEIJING2737_a.html

8. https://web.archive.org/web/20230825131631/https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09BEIJING2787_a.html

9. https://web.archive.org/web/20230825132944/http://wikileaks.fdn.fr/cable/2009/11/09LONDON2617.html

10. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/698923?ln=en

11. https://web.archive.org/web/20230825131828/https://press.un.org/en/2011/gadis3440.doc.htm

12. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/727139?ln=en

13. https://web.archive.org/web/20230825132014/http://un.china-mission.gov.cn/eng/chinaandun/disarmament_armscontrol/unga/201310/t20131030_8412324.htm

14. https://web.archive.org/web/20230825132351/http://un.china-mission.gov.cn/eng/chinaandun/disarmament_armscontrol/unga/201411/t20141103_8412326.htm

15. https://web.archive.org/web/20230825132140/https://press.un.org/en/2017/sc12953.doc.htm

16. https://web.archive.org/web/20210804154948/https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/web/wjb_673085/zzjg_673183/jks_674633/

17. https://web.archive.org/web/20230825131829/https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/06/02/remarks-by-national-security-advisor-jake-sullivan-for-the-arms-control-association-aca-annual-forum/