{{short description|Chinese diplomat}} {{family name hatnote|Hou|lang=Chinese}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Hou Yanqi | image = 中国驻尼泊尔大使唱尼泊尔民歌.jpg | caption = | office = Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN | term_start = December 2022 | term_end = November 2025 | predecessor = Deng Xijun | successor = Wang Qing | office1 = Chinese Ambassador to Nepal | term_start1 = December 2018 | term_end1 = October 2022 | predecessor1 = Yu Hong | successor1 = Chen Song | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1970|03}}<ref name=t1019948>{{Cite web|url=http://np.china-embassy.org/eng/EmbassyInfo/Bioam/t1019948.htm|title=Curriculum Vitae of Ms Hou Yanqi|website=np.china-embassy.org}}</ref> | birth_place = Qingxu County, Shanxi, China<ref name=t1019948/> | death_date = | death_place = | party = Chinese Communist Party | occupation = Diplomat | alma_mater = Peking University<ref name=beijing-proposes-new-ambassador/> }} {{Infobox Chinese | s = 侯艳琪 | t = 侯艷琪 | p = Hóu Yànqí }} '''Hou Yanqi''' ({{lang-zh|s=侯艳琪}}; March 1970) is a Chinese diplomat. From 2018 to 2022 she served as the Ambassador to Nepal and from 2022 to 2025 as Ambassador to ASEAN.
== Biography == Hou was born in Qingxu County, Taiyuan, Shanxi province, China in 1970.
== Career == Hou has served at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1996, prior to being appointed ambassador, she was the deputy director general, focusing on South Asian affairs. She has also been stationed in Pakistan and as the consul of the Chinese Consulate-General in Los Angeles.<ref name=beijing-proposes-new-ambassador>{{Cite web|url=https://kathmandupost.com/miscellaneous/2018/11/19/beijing-proposes-new-ambassador|title=Beijing proposes new ambassador|website=kathmandupost.com}}</ref> From 2018 to 2022 she served as Ambassador to Nepal. On 22 December 2022 she was sworn in as Ambassador to ASEAN.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-22 |title=Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to ASEAN Hou Yanqi presented her Letter of Credence to Secretary-General of ASEAN |url=https://asean.org/ambassador-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china-to-asean-hou-yanqi-presented-her-letter-of-credence-to-secretary-general-of-asean/ |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=asean.org}}</ref> In November 2025, she bid her farewell to the ASEAN Secretary General, effectively ending her role.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-12 |title=Secretary-General of ASEAN bids farewell to the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to ASEAN |url=https://asean.org/secretary-general-of-asean-bids-farewell-to-the-ambassador-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china-to-asean/ |access-date=2026-01-18 |website=ASEAN Main Portal |language=en-US}}</ref> In December 2025 she was appointed director of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, succeeding Hong Liang.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_32252308|title=中国驻东盟大使侯艳琪已任外交部边界与海洋事务司司长|date=2025-12-25}}</ref>
She has been noted for her use of Twitter to increase the soft power of China.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/1835424/lol-chinas-informal-confrontational-twitter-diplomacy|title='LOL!': China's informal, confrontational Twitter diplomacy|newspaper=Bangkok Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://english.khabarhub.com/2019/24/64056/|title=Chinese Ambassador's Twitter diplomacy: 'Follow me, get free movie tickets'|date=24 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Diplomacy, in 280 characters or less|author=Tsering D Gurung|date=26 June 2019|url=https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2019/06/25/diplomacy-in-280-characters-or-less}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theprint.in/opinion/global-print/modi-govts-flip-flops-widened-the-gap-between-india-and-nepal-chinese-are-filling-it-fast/433737/|title=Modi govt's flip flops widened the gap between India and Nepal. Chinese are filling it fast|first=Jyoti|last=Malhotra|date=2 June 2020}}</ref>
==Personal life== Hou is married and has one son.<ref name=t1019948/> She speaks Urdu,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/chinese-minister-kezhis-visit-india-definite-tibet-focus|title=Chinese minister Kezhi's visit to India had definite Tibet focus}}</ref> which she majored at Peking University.<ref name=beijing-proposes-new-ambassador/>
==See also== * China-Nepal relations
== References == {{reflist}}
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Category:Living people Category:1970 births Category:Ambassadors of China to Nepal Category:Peking University alumni Category:People from Taiyuan