Mr. Sun Yan is vice president of National Institute for South China Sea Studies. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Beijing Foreign Studies University. In 1992, he began his career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. He has held different positions in several departments of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, successively serving as counselor of the Chinese Mission to ASEAN, the Deputy Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Melbourne, Australia, and counselor of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs. He joined National Institute for South China Sea Studies in December 2022.