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China's Qu Dongyu Reelected Unopposed as Head of UN Food Agency


FILE - Qu Dongyu of China addresses a plenary meeting of the 41st Session of the Conference, at the FAO headquarters in Rome, June 22, 2019.
FILE - Qu Dongyu of China addresses a plenary meeting of the 41st Session of the Conference, at the FAO headquarters in Rome, June 22, 2019.

The head of the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, Qu Dongyu, was re-elected Sunday for a second term as head of the U.N. agency.

He was the only candidate standing for the role of FAO director-general and received 168 out of 182 votes in a ballot in Rome on Sunday.

Qu, a former Chinese government minister who was nominated for the post by Beijing, will serve a new four-year term from August 1.

His appointment is seen as a part of a drive by Beijing to get more Chinese figures into senior jobs at international bodies.

Qu, a biologist by training, was vice-minister of agriculture before taking over as head of the U.N. agency in 2019.

FAO directors can hold the role for a maximum of two consecutive terms.

The vote came during the FAO Conference, which runs until July 7.

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