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Mr Liu Zhixian, a career diplomat, with Ambassadorial rank, from the People's Republic of China, is the Director for External Relations and he took up his present appointment in May 2005.
Prior to this, from July 2002 to May 2005, he was the Deputy Director-General of the Arms Control and Disarmament Department, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and during the same period, also held the positions of Deputy Head of China's National CWC Implementation Office, Deputy Head of China's CTBT Implementation Preparatory Agency, Alternate of the Chinese Permanent Mission to the CTBTO Preparatory Commission and Senior Liaison Officer of the State Commission for Nuclear Emergency Response. Mr Liu has extensive experience as an expert in disarmament affairs, acting as head of delegation, chief negotiator and chief drafter.
Mr Liu also served at the Permanent Representation of the People's Republic of China to the OPCW from June 1997 to September 2001 as the Deputy Permanent Representative and as a Member of the Advisory Body on Administrative and Financial Matters of the OPCW.
In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Mr Liu held senior positions, including: Director, Division of Social and Humanitarian Affairs, International Organizations Department (1994-1997) and Deputy-Director, Division of UN Specialized Agencies/NGO Affairs, International Organizations Department (1991-1994).
Mr Liu served at the Chinese Missions in Switzerland (1986-1990) and Fiji (1978-1983). He has been a member of the Chinese Delegation to the Six-Party Talks on the Korean Peninsular Nuclear Issue (June 2004), Deputy Head of the Chinese Delegation to the 3rd Session of the Preparatory Commission for 2005 NPT Review Conference (April 2004) and was the Deputy Head of the Chinese Delegation to the Second and Seventh Conference of States Parties to the CWC and participated in over thirty OPCW Executive Council Sessions from June 1997 to December 2003.
He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the Beijing Foreign Studies University, China in 1978. In 1985, he was granted a certificate from the Foreign Ministry Program on International Economics and Trade for Senior Officials, China. He received his diploma in International Economics and Trade from the Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, Switzerland in 1990.
Mr Liu is married and has a daughter.