Chinese envoy to Tel Aviv found dead at his residence, Israeli foreign ministry confirms

China’s ambassador to Israel, Du Wei, was found dead at his home on Sunday morning, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and police have confirmed.

Du, 57, was found dead at the apartment in the city of Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, Israeli Police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld told AFP. The report of Du’s death was also confirmed by Israel’s foreign ministry.

Israeli media said earlier that Du’s body was discovered in his bed with no signs of violence, and that police are investigating the cause of his death. It was also reported that the initial indications were that the diplomat had died in his sleep of natural causes.

When contacted for comment by the Jerusalem Post, the Chinese Embassy said it could not immediately confirm the reports.

Du assumed the role of ambassador to Israel in February. He had previously served as an envoy to Ukraine.

In an op-ed for the Jerusalem Post in March, Du described how he had undergone a two-week home quarantine after arriving in Israel. He urged all countries to work together in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. The diplomat also called for the fight against “another common enemy” – misinformation – which included accusations of China concealing relevant data on the spread of the disease. Beijing has repeatedly denied such claims.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!