BEIJING - A Chinese woman is in the running to become both the country's first secretary-general of the aviation arm of the United Nations (UN) and the organization's first female chief.

Liu Fang, a seasoned air-safety official, will run to be elected secretary-general of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), its Asia-Pacific branch told Xinhua on Sunday.

If successful in the elections expected to take place sometime in late March, Liu will succeed Frenchman Raymond Benjamin, who is currently in his second term in the position.

She is currently director of the organization's Bureau of Administration and Services.

The other three candidates are from the United Arab Emirates, India and Australia.

Liu previously served in the Civil Aviation Administration of China before she joined the ICAO in 2007.

The ICAO, a specialized agency of the UN founded in 1944 and headquartered in Montreal, Canada, sets safety standards and rules for air transport. China was re-elected a Part-1 member (states of chief importance in air transport) of its governing council in 2013.