News Desk: Gaurangalal Das, a senior diplomat of India has been appointed as the new ambassador in Taipei. Das, who hails from Barpeta, Assam has been dealing with Indo-US relations. He is currently the Joint Secretary (US) within the Ministry of External Affairs.
This announcement came at a time when strategic negotiations have begun to strengthen diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Taipei. Both America and China have been proclaiming rights over Taiwan and the South China Sea.
India does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan because of its One-China policy. It does have an office in Taipei which carry out diplomatic functions and operates under the name of India-Taipei Association. Das will be the new Director-General. He will be replacing Sridharan Madhusudhanan.
Meanwhile, Taiwan has also appointed General Baushuan Ger as their representative to India. General Ger is currently the East Asian and Pacific Affairs Director. Ger replaced Tien Chung-Kwang who was on the post for seven years at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in India.
Gaurangalal Das served as a Deputy Secretary handling External Affairs in the Prime Minister’s Office during the tenure of Manmohan Singh. He also played a key role during Prime Minister Modi’s visit in June 2017. Das was the Counsellor (Political) at the Indian Embassy in Washington DC. On his return to New Delhi, Das was then tasked by the Foreign Secretary, S Jaishankar to set up the Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies, the in-house think tank to study China post-Doklam.
Gaurangalal Das is an Indian Overseas Service officer of 1999 batch and an alumnus of St Stephen’s Faculty in Delhi. He did his education from Barpeta, Assam, and did his higher education from Cotton University.
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