The post of Chinese ambassador to Iceland, vacant since its previous holder, Ma Jisheng 马继生, left for China last January and was allegedly detained there under suspicion of providing state secrets to Japan, has now been filled. The new ambassador, Zhang Weidong 张卫东, has previously worked in Canada and the Federated States of Micronesia, a US associated state. There’s no indication that he spied for anyone while there.

Ma Jisheng, who once worked with current foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei 洪磊, allegedly gave classified information to Japan while working there under Wang Yi 王毅, then ambassador in Tokyo and now foreign minister.

Zhang arrived in Reykjavík on the 25th and had his first public appearance at a cultural event organised by the Confucius institute.

I’ve written on Ma Jisheng’s case already, ten days ago.