(SHEN HONG)

Veteran Chinese diplomat and international law expert Xue Hanqin was elected judge of the UN International Court of Justice on June 30.

Xue, a member of the International Law Commission, was elected by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council in separate votes.

She is the only woman among the 15 judges of the International Court of Justice, and the third Chinese to serve on the court.

Xue won all 15 votes in the Security Council on June 29 and a majority of votes in the 192-nation UN General Assembly.

The election was held to fill the vacancy when Chinese judge Shi Jiuyong resigned on May 28.

Located in The Hague in the Netherlands, the International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the UN. It settles legal disputes between states and gives advisory opinions to the UN and its specialized agencies. Its statute is an integral part of the UN Charter.