Interpol elects Chinese official as its new president

A top Chinese security official was today elected to head the Interpol, in a move that could come as a likely boost to China's anti-graft crackdown at home.

Vice Minister for Public Security Meng Hongwei was elected President of the International Criminal Police Organisation, making him the first Chinese to take the prestigious post.

Meng took over from his predecessor Mireille Ballestrazzi of France at the closing ceremony of Interpol's 85th General Assembly in Bali, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The Interpol President heads its Executive Committee and is elected by the General Assembly for a period of four years.

In his speech, Meng promised to work together with all member-states of Interpol to build the international group into a stronger platform for global police cooperation.

He said he will promote more effective global police cooperation, better support the capacity-building efforts of police in all member countries, improve the coordination among regional and global police forces with a view to building a safer world and a more efficient Interpol that is beneficial for all member-states.

The election gives China another seat at an international organisation tasked with fighting transnational crimes, and is believed to aid its domestic crackdown on corruption, helping it in tracking down fugitives or suspects staying abroad.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has launched a sweeping campaign on corruption after he took over in 2012. More than a million officials have been punished under the crackdown.

Meng's new charge will include chairing meetings of the committee which ensures the implementation of decisions made at the General Assembly.

Founded in 1914 and now headquartered in Lyon, France, Interpol is the second-largest international organisation after the United Nations with 190 members.

By establishing a global police communications system, the agency has played an important role in deepening international police cooperation to combat transnational criminal offences.

China became a member state of Interpol in September 1984.

The 86th General Assembly of Interpol is scheduled to be held in China in 2017, according to the report.