Beijing confirms nomination of ex-Hong Kong police chief Andy Tsang to lead UN agency fighting drug crimes, terrorism and political corruption
- Nomination is China’s first attempt to fill a top position at a major international body since it detained Meng Hongwei, then head of Interpol, last year
- Tsang, 61, led the Hong Kong Police Force during the Occupy protests of 2014
Tsang, 61, could also become an undersecretary general at the global organisation, a title that comes with the job, if he is selected by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres over at least two other candidates from Panama and Colombia.
“This shows China stands fast on multilateralism and supports the work of the UN,” foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Wednesday.
“China is ready to make a greater contribution to cracking down on transnational organised crime and to cooperate in international drug control.”
Tsang issued a statement saying he was honoured to be nominated for the post of executive director at the Vienna-based UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
“I see my nomination as an affirmation of the country’s support for the work of the UN, particularly for multilateralism,” he said.
