China sets criteria for next UN secretary-general: Competent, impartial

China's Foreign Ministry outlined strict criteria for the next United Nations secretary-general on Monday, stating the successful candidate must be competent, impartial and upright while upholding the UN Charter ahead of a January 2027 handover. Guo Jiakun, spokesman for the ministry, told reporters in Beijing that the election bears on the reform of the UN and vital interests of member states, according to the state press briefing.

Beijing's criteria

Guo said China supports selecting a candidate who "observes the UN Charter, abides by the UN Charter, has outstanding competence, is impartial, and upright (and) fulfills responsibility with dedication." He added that Beijing "will work with all relevant parties to participate in the secretary-general election process in a responsible manner," without indicating which of the seven remaining candidates China favors.

Selection race

The process to select the successor to current Secretary-General António Guterres is underway, with the winning candidate set to assume office on Jan. 1, 2027. Seven candidates remain in contention for the post, including Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, who heads UN Trade and Development, and Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, Guyana's ambassador to the UN.

Straw poll results

According to PassBlue, a news website focused on the UN, Grynspan led the latest anonymous straw poll conducted by the UN Security Council on Sept. 18 with nine "encourage" votes. Rodrigues Birkett followed with eight encourage votes, while Olara Otunnu, Rafael Grossi, Macky Sall, Maria Fernanda Espinosa and Ivonne A-Baki remain in the race.