Before his first overseas appointment, Du worked as the deputy director general of the Policy Planning Department of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[1]
Du served as the Chinese ambassador to Ukraine from 2016 to 2020.[4] During his tenure in Ukraine, he met with Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Vadym Prystaiko in an effort to expand the relationship between the two countries.[5] He was responsible for a technical assistance program in which the Chinese government gave special equipment to the State Emergency Services in Ukraine.[6] He was also involved in negotiations following a blocked take-over of Ukrainian defense company Motor Sich by a Chinese company.[7][8]
Du was found dead in his Herzliya apartment on 17 May 2020.A[13] His death came in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, 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.[2][14] These circumstances have led to various conspiracy theories about the cause of his death.[15]
The day after, China announced that it would send an investigative team to conduct an internal investigation into the ambassador's death,[16] but later walked back the decision.[17]
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 in his sleep. The Chinese Foreign Ministry declared that he had died of "health reasons".[17]
Notes
^A His body was found on the morning of 17 May[4] but his exact date of death has not been reported.
