BEIJING — China will push exchanges and cooperation in human rights with other countries as a UN Human Rights Council member, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Oct 31.

The UN General Assembly on Oct 28 elected China and other 13 countries to the UN Human Rights Council for a three-year term starting from Jan 1, 2017.

China, a current member of the council, was re-elected winning 180 votes. The others elected were Tunisia, South Africa, Rwanda, Egypt, Japan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Hungary, Croatia, Cuba, Brazil, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The re-election reflects the international community’s acknowledgment of China’s human rights development and its participation in international cooperation in the area, Hua said at a news briefing.

China will use the re-election to deliver its international human rights obligations, vigorously encourage exchanges and cooperation in human rights and make a greater contribution to the international human rights cause, Hua said.

The Human Rights Council is the main UN intergovernmental body for protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. It was established by the General Assembly in 2006 to replace the 60-year-old UN Commission on Human Rights.