(FILE)

Wu Hongbo, a senior Chinese diplomat and China's ambassador to Germany, was appointed under-secretary-general to lead the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, a UN spokesman announced on May 31. The 60-year-old diplomat is set to take over the position held by another Chinese official, Sha Zukang, since February 2007.

"Wu has over 30 years of high-level experience, including close collaboration at international conferences and with multilateral organizations," said Ban in a statement posted on the UN's official website. The statement noted Wu's role in helping China implement UN conventions on the environment and development as well as its report on progress toward the Millennium Development Goals.

Wu, born in east China's Shandong Province, graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University and pursued graduate studies at Victoria University in New Zealand from 1978 to 1980. He has served as assistant foreign minister since 2007. In August 2009, Wu was appointed China's ambassador to Germany.