India appoints Pradeep Kumar Rawat as envoy to China

NEW DELHI, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government Monday appointed Pradeep Kumar Rawat, now the ambassador to the Netherlands, as the next ambassador of India to China.

Rawat is expected to take up the assignment shortly, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

"Shri Pradeep Kumar Rawat presently ambassador of India to the Kingdom of the Netherlands has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the People's Republic of China," reads a ministry statement .

Rawat, an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the 1990 batch, will succeed Vikram Misri.

A local media report said Rawat is fluent in Mandarin. Enditem