"In making these decisions, the Secretary-General has taken into account various factors, among others the need to apply change with continuity, ongoing discussions on restructuring plans and the need to promote mobility at all levels."

Vijay Nambiar, UN chief Ban Ki-Moon's Chef de Cabinet, announcing the appointment of Sha and three other under secretary generals

"Iam neither hawkish nor dovish."

The reshuffle of the UN leadership has brought good news for China's Sha Zukang, after the veteran of international organizations was given the job of supervising the world body's economic and social affairs.

The UN announced the appointment of four under- secretary-generals on February 9. Along with Sha, a U.S. diplomat was named as chief political officer, a Japanese international civil servant was commissioned to manage public information and an Egyptian diplomat was assigned to oversee General Assembly management.

Currently China's permanent representative to the UN Office at Geneva, Sha has wide experience in disarmament issues and is also well versed in economic and social development, according to a UN statement. Over his 37 years in a diplomatic career, his portfolios covered a wide range of fields including security, economy, social affairs, human rights and humanitarian affairs. In recent years, he served respectively as chairman of the Government Group of the Governing Body of the UN International Labor Organization, president of the UN Trade and Development Board, chairman of the Preparatory Committee and the Committee of the Whole of UN Conference on Trade and Development.

He was also elected or appointed as president, vice president, chairman, coordinator and expert in many international conferences in the field of trade, intellectual property, social affairs and telecommunications.

Sha is well known for his "outspoken" style in China's diplomatic community. His usage of "shut up" in an interview with the BBC in August 2006 to refute Washington's attacks on China's military budget had many tongues wagging. Based on the fact that the United States itself accounts for half of the world's military spending, Sha said, "The Chinese population is five or six times that of the United States. Why blame China?…It's better for the United States to shut up and keep quiet. It's much, much better."

Last year, Sha played an important role in the successful bid of Margaret Chan from Hong Kong to the directorship of the World Health Organization.

Sha is the seventh Chinese to serve as UN under-secretary-general.

"What is a unipolar world? No matter how we beautify this term it means one single center of power, one single center of force and one single master."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing Washington of attempting to force its will on the world at a gathering of top security

and defense officials in Germany

"We are confident that the implications of these developments will be recognized by market participants and will

be incorporated in their assessments of risks."

Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of Seven nations expressing optimism on the performance of the global economy that they said "remains favorable"

"In the platform of the new government there will be no sign of recognition [of Israel], regardless of the pressures

the United States and the Quartet would exert."

Ahmed Youssef, a political adviser to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, indicating the incoming Palestinian unity government's policy toward Israel

"We'll make use of the interest rate tool and let the price lever play a bigger role in monetary policy."

Latest quarterly monetary policy report of China's central bank

"I want to win, but I don't just want to win, I want to transform this country."

Illinois Senator Barack Obama, formally launching his 2008 White House campaign in hopes of becoming the United States' first black president

"We suspect that one of the reasons for the current spread has more to do with trade in live birds than to do with the

movement of the virus through wild birds."

David Nabarro, U.N. coordinator for avian and human flu, speaking to reporters on February 9