S Jaishankar was India's envoy in China from 2009-13.

Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi on Friday congratulated S Jaishankar on his appointment as India's External Affairs Minister and praised his positive contributions to the development of bilateral ties.

"We congratulate Mr Jaishankar on his appointment as foreign minister of India," a late-night press release from the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

It said Wang has sent a congratulatory message to him.

As foreign secretary of India and ambassador to China, he has made positive contributions to the development of China-India relations, it said.

"China is ready to work with India to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and promote new progress in China-India relations and pragmatic cooperation in various fields to bring more benefits to the people of both countries," the press release said.

Mr Jaishankar was India's envoy in China from 2009-13. He was India's foreign secretary from 2015-2018.

A 1977-batch IFS officer, Mr Jaishankar played a key role in resolving the crisis following the incursion in Ladakh's Depsang and the Doklam stand-off, handling the tough negotiations with Beijing.