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UN official Malik's China connection

By Zuo Likun (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-08-05 15:58

 

 

Khalid Malik, UN Resident Coordinator in China said he felt very comfortable when he came to China five years ago, because he has "a lot of historical connections" with the country.

Malik said his father-in-law studied in Beijing from 1946 to 1949, and his wife runs a volunteer foundation in southwest China's Yunnan province, which supports traditional crafts and women issues.

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But the Oxford and Cambridge alumni confessed that his biggest disappointment in China is probably his Chinese language, which Malik said he has not learned as well as he would like to. His five children all speak it though, and Malik said his youngest son is the most fluent.

Before coming to China in 2003, the veteran UN official served around the world in places including Uzbekistan, in central Asia, Guyana in Latin America, and in Africa as well.

"It's a great privilege to be here in China." The Pakistani diplomat said. "For me, this has been a remarkable opportunity."