New Chinese ambassador meets with Cyprus political leaders

On July 16, 2026, the newly appointed Ambassador of China to Cyprus, Yang Yundong, held separate meetings with AKEL General Secretary Stefanos Stefanou and the President of the House of Representatives, Annita Dimitriou. Stefanou, accompanied by Vera Polykarpou, discussed the status of the Cyprus problem, specifically the efforts to resume negotiations based on a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality as outlined in UN resolutions. Stefanou thanked China for its support as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and emphasized the ongoing cooperation between AKEL and the Communist Party of China. In her meeting, Annita Dimitriou and Ambassador Yang reaffirmed the strong bilateral relations between their two countries. The Ambassador reiterated China's principled position in support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus. In response, Dimitriou confirmed Cyprus's adherence to the 'One China' policy. Both parties discussed the role of Cyprus in fostering dialogue and cooperation between the European Union and China. The participants expressed satisfaction with the current state of diplomatic ties and mutual trust between the two nations.