Iceland finally got a new ambassador from China this week, more than 10 months after former ambassador Ma Jisheng suddenly disappeared from his post.

Ma and his wife hadn't been seen since January when all official Chinese mention of him was removed from the embassy website. The last time he made an official statement from his Iceland post was in September 2013. A "caretaker" ambassador was leading the embassy, Icelandic officials said as they very publicly wondered who actually was in charge.

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Speculation led by Mingjing News, an influential Chinese language web portal based at New York, centered around allegations Ma and his wife may have been accused of spying for Japan.

Before being posted to Reykjavik, Ma served several stints at the Chinese embassy in Tokyo. He was a secretary there from 1991 to 1995. He returned as minister counselor from 2004 to 2008.

Ma's replacement is Zhang Weidong, 57. The Chinese embassy in Iceland's website said Zhang arrived in the country on September 25. He worked in Vienna, Canada and Geneva before becoming foreign Affairs Office deputy director in South Guangdong province. His last posting was ambassador to Micronesia.

Meanwhile, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has "no information" on Ma's whereabouts and, for that matter, his wife. Japanese officials said their government was aware of reports that Ma and his wife were double agents for them, but it was a domestic Chinese issue. Officials declined further comment.

The entire Ma affair was tied up in several disputes between China and Japan.

The two nations have been engaged in a rather heated dispute over islands and natural resources in the East China Sea.

They also have tangled over issues related to World War Two. Chinese leaders say Japan has failed to acknowledge war crimes. They also have been outraged by the actions of conservative Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, including homage he recently paid at the Yasukuni Shrine honoring Japan's war dead.

TagsIceland, ambassador, City, diplomacy, Ma jisheng, spying