China said set to send team to probe death of its ambassador to Israel

The Chinese government is reportedly to dispatch investigators to Israel to probe the death of its ambassador to Israel, Du Wei.

Wei died at his home in Herzliya on Sunday, apparently from natural causes, a statement from Beijing has said.

A statement from China’s foreign ministry earlier said: “The preliminary verdict is that Ambassador Du Wei died unexpectedly of health reasons. The details await further confirmation.”

According to a Haaretz report, the special team will carry out “an independent investigation” and will also arrange arrangements to fly Wei’s body back to China for burial. A family representative will be joining the team, the report said. The team would not be required to enter the 14-day quarantine period normally required for arrivals in Israel due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday morning that Du Wei, 57, had been found dead at his official residence in the coastal town of Herzliya. The Foreign Ministry said police were on the scene.

According to the Ynet news site, aides tried to wake Du and found him in his bed, not breathing. The initial assessment was that he had suffered cardiac arrest during the night.

Channel 12 news reported there were no external signs of violence on Du’s body.

In its statement, the Foreign Ministry said director-general Yuval Rotem spoke with deputy ambassador Dai Yuming and expressed his condolences, adding that the ministry would provide any assistance it could.

Du was married and had one son, the ministry said, adding that his family members were not in Israel with him.

He arrived in Israel on February 15 to take up his post, and immediately spent two weeks in quarantine due to coronavirus regulations. He was unable to present his credentials to President Reuven Rivlin in person due to the pandemic.

Du, who was born in Shandong Province, was a professional diplomat who previously served in Ukraine.

There was no immediate comment from Chinese officials.

The ambassador’s death came just two days after he condemned comments by visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who denounced Chinese investments in Israel and accused China of hiding information about the coronavirus outbreak.

State Department officials said a main topic of discussion during Pompeo’s visit was Washington’s concerns over Israel’s trade relationship with China, citing its lack of transparency and problematic trade practices.