Kunbao Xia has worked in the field of environmental diplomacy since 1985. He was Director and then Director General, National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), China from 1985 to 1996 in charge of international cooperation. He was posted in Nairobi as China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and acted as Vice Chairman, Committee of Permanent Representatives of UNEP between October 1996 to May 1999. He worked with UNEP as a senior staff member between May 1999 and July 2004.