Society

First Chinese to take up post at WCO

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-12-29 06:44

BEIJING - China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) said Tuesday that one of its officers, Zhu Gaozhang, would take office as director of the Compliance and Facilitation Directorate of the World Customs Organization (WCO) on Jan 1, 2011.

Zhu, former chief of the International Cooperation Department of the GAC, will be the WCO's first senior Chinese official. His tenure will last for five years.

The Brussels-based WCO is regarded as the voice of the global customs community. It plays a vital role in formulating international conventions, promoting customs cooperation and ensuring security and facilitation of international trade.

The international organization has 177 members, which controls 98 percent of global trade. China joined the WCO in 1983.