China police official Meng Hongwei to head Interpol

Rights groups criticise Meng Hongwei's appointment given country's "practice" of using Interpol to arrest dissidents.

Meng is the first Chinese to hold the post at the Interpol general assembly [Reuters]

A high-level Chinese police official has been elected president of Interpol, the international police organisation, 

angering rights advocates concerned over abuses and lack of transparency within China's legal system.

Meng Hongwei, vice public security minister, was named on Thursday as the first Chinese to hold the post at the Interpol general assembly on the Indonesian island of Bali.

Interpol made the announcement via its official Twitter feed.