Chinese diplomat Qu Dongyu was re-elected Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Sunday (02) for four years, with 168 votes in favour, the organization announced.

Dongyu was elected with 168 of the 182 votes cast in a secret ballot held at the ministerial conference, the FAO said in a statement.

The new mandate begins on August 1 and runs until July 31, 2027.

Before succeeding Brazilian José Graziano da Silva as head of the FAO in 2019, 59-year-old Qu Dongyu was deputy minister of agriculture.

He specializes in plants and genetics and has a PhD from Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands.

FAO directors-general can only be elected for two consecutive terms. (News)