On this Day in Chinese History; 6 February

This day, 6 February, in 2003, Shi Jiuyong, a well-known Chinese international law expert, was elected President of the International Court of Justice for a 3-year term. He was the first Chinese judge to serve as such since the Court’s establishment in 1946. As legal advisor to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shi had also previously participated in the Sino-British negotiations as to the return of Hong Kong to China.