China backs female candidate for UN Secretary‑General, citing support for Michelle Bachelet

China has voiced support for the election of a woman as the next United Nations Secretary‑General, saying it would be “very happy” to see a female leader at the helm of the 80‑year‑old organization. Permanent Representative to the UN Fu Cong, who also chaired the Security Council in May, reiterated that Beijing would welcome a woman in the role, though he declined to name a preferred candidate.

Among the four contenders are former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, UNCTAD Secretary‑General Rebeca Grynspan, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi and former Senegalese president Macky Sall. Fu emphasized that China seeks a strong Secretary‑General committed to multilateralism and the UN’s pillars of peace and security, development and human rights, and not overly aligned with any single superpower. Under China’s Security Council presidency, it plans to work on a selection modality for the appointment, which is expected to take place in June or July.

The UN General Assembly has noted the historic lack of a female Secretary‑General and encourages member states to consider women candidates, with some suggestions that the next office‑holder could come from Latin America.