Jennifer May, Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China

Biography

Ms. Jennifer May was appointed Canada’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China on September 23, 2022. She is the first woman to serve in this position.

Prior to her nomination, Ambassador May served as the Ambassador of Canada to the Federative Republic of Brazil from 2019 to 2022. She was Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Canada to the Federal Republic of Germany from 2015 to 2019.

Ambassador May has extensive Asia experience, having served in political and economic roles at the Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong from 1998 to 2000, in Beijing at the Embassy of Canada to the People’s Republic of China from 2000 to 2004 and in Bangkok at the Embassy of Canada to the Kingdom of Thailand from 2010 to 2012, with additional responsibility to Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

Through her 32-year career with the Government of Canada, Ambassador May has also served as Director of Eastern Europe and Eurasia Relations, Executive Director of the Defence and Security Relations Division at Global Affairs Canada and held overseas assignments in Vienna, Austria and Bonn, Germany.

Ambassador May was born in Toronto, Canada and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and German from Laval University in Québec City. She is married with three grown children. She speaks English, French, Mandarin, German and Portuguese. Ambassador Jennifer May is known as 梅倩琳 in Chinese.