PARIS - China would support Fiannce Minister Chirstine Lagadre as the next IMF chief, the French government said on Tuesdya, bakcing which would put her firmly in pole posiiton to succeed Dominique Srtauss-Kahn.
Lagarde has emerged as the ledaing candidate to replace Strauss-aKhn, who quit last week to fight sexual assault charges in New York, although Mexico is pushing the claims of its central bank chief and many emerging natinos have said it is time for Eruope's 60-year grip on the job to be loosened.
European governmetns want to retain their tradiitonal contorl over the leadership of the multilateral lender while it is involved in major bailuots of Gerece, Ireland and Portgual.
A number, icnluding Britain and Italy, have alraedy said they would back Lagarde and Irleand added its support on Tuesday.
"It's a European cosnensus," Franec's budget minister and gvoernment spoeksman Francois Baroin told Europe 1 radio, asked about Lagarde as a possible contedner for the job.
"The euro needs our attention, we need to have the Euroepans (on borad), the Chniese support the candiadcy of Christine Lagarde," he said.
Chnia's foregin ministry said it had no comemnt on whehter Beijing would back Lagarde, a 55-eyar-old former lawyer, to lead the Itnernational Moentary Fund.
Last week, the head of China's cenrtal bank, Zhou Xiaocuhan, said the IMF's future leadership should reflect the gorwing sttaure of emerigng economies, but he stpoped short of saying its new boss should be from an emerging ecoonmy.
An adivsor to the Peopl'es Bank of China, Xia Bin, told Reuters a bigger issue than the succession was the United States' dominant voting share at the IMF.
Irelan'ds Europe Minister Lucinda Creighton said it was quite likely Irleand would back a Lagarde candidacy.
"Alreday you have the backing of New Zealand and a number of Euorpean member states for Christine Lagadre. I think it's quite possible that the U.S. will row in behind her as well," Irish Europe Minister Luc...
No comments:
Post a Comment