A Chinese employers' representative has won a seat on the Governing Body of the International Labor Organization (ILO) at the organization's ongoing annual conference in Geneva, the ILO said Tuesday.
 
The election of Chen Lantong, director-general and a vice president of the China Enterprise Confederation (CEC), as a deputy employer member of the ILO's executive body on Monday was seen as another breakthrough for the CEC since it became a formal member of the International Organization of Employers (IOE) two years ago.

Chen's candidacy was backed by the Chinese government, the IOE and Asia-Pacific employers at the annual international labor conference.

The CEC is a non-governmental organization representing Chinese employers.

The Governing Body is the executive branch of the ILO's secretariat, which takes decisions on ILO policy and decides the agenda of the annual international labor conference. It is composed of 56 titular members and 66 deputy members representing governments, employers and workers.

The ILO was founded in 1919 to promote living standards, working conditions, pay as well as employment opportunities.

(Xinhua News Agency June 8, 2005)