The UK government announced on the 16th that it has appointed Peter Wilson, son of former Hong Kong Governor David Wilson, as the ambassador to China.
Peter Wilson posted in Chinese on the social platform X, stating that he first visited Beijing in 1981 and lived there for a few years in the 90s and 2000s. He expressed his honor to return to China in August to serve as the UK's ambassador to China.
The 57-year-old Peter Wilson stated that he would lead the British team in China at "this globally significant time," to advance UK interests and strengthen ties with China.
Peter Wilson will succeed the current ambassador Caroline Wilson, who assumed the role in 2020. Caroline Wilson will be transitioning to other diplomatic duties.
According to the UK Foreign Office website, Peter Wilson previously worked at the British Embassy in China, serving as a junior diplomat from 1995 to 1998, and then as a political counselor from 2007 to 2010. His father, David Wilson, served as the Governor of Hong Kong from 1987 to 1992, during which time Peter Wilson lived in Hong Kong with his family.
Peter Wilson briefly served as the principal private secretary to former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and has also been the UK ambassador to the Netherlands and Brazil.