国内英语新闻:Chinese diplomat elected to International Court of Justice

UNITED NATIONS, June 29 (Xinhua) -- A veteran Chinese diplomat and an expert of international law, Xue Hanqin, was elected judge of the International Court of Justice here Tuesday.

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

Xue won all 15 votes in the Security Council on Tuesday morning, Claude Heller, the Mexican UN ambassador who holds the rotating Security Council presidency for June, announced after the 15- nation Council cast the secret ballots.

Heller, at the open Council meeting, also read a letter from the president of the General Assembly, Ali Treki, who said that Xue won a majority of votes in the 192-nation UN body.

Xue "was elected member of the International Court of Justice," Heller said.

The election was conducted under the relevant Security Council resolution to fill the vacancy after Judge Shi Jiuyong, a Chinese, resigned on May 28.

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

Xue told reporters here that she thanked all those who voted for her and said that she will carry out her duty under the UN Charter and the Statute of the Court.