Hou Yanqi
Hou Yanqi 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 of the People's Republic of China|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, [Los Angeles|Chinese Consulate-General] in Los Angeles. From 2018 to 2022 she served as Ambassador to Nepal. On 22 December 2022 she was sworn in as Ambassador to ASEAN. In November 2025, she bid her farewell to the ASEAN Secretary General, effectively ending her role. In December 2025 she was appointed director of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, succeeding Hong Liang.She has been noted for her use of Twitter to increase the soft power of China.