The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has elected Zhang Xiaogang as president, making him the first Chinese to assume the post.

The election was held Friday at the 36th ISO General Assembly in this Russian city.

Zhang is a vice chairman of the World Steel Association and a member of the China Standardization Expert Committee.

Founded in 1947, the ISO is the largest and most authoritative international standard-setting body. By the end of 2012, the ISO had developed and published about 20,000 standards, which have played an important role in world economy and trade.