Geng Shuang presented his credentials to the UN Secretariat on July 14, officially starting his tenure as Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the world body.

Geng was spokesperson and Deputy Director General of the Department of Information of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2016 to 2020 before joining the Chinese UN mission.

The envoy was a staff member and attaché of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from 1995 to 1999, as well as attaché and third secretary of the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the UN from 1999 to 2003.

Geng made his debut at a Security Council virtual meeting on the work of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) on July 9.

China will work with UNOWAS and the international community to help countries in the region combat COVID-19, maintain peace and stability, and achieve sustainable development, he said.