The Bank of China's Vice President, Zhu Min, is in the spotlight. Both domestic and overseas media have reported that he may become a deputy managing director at the International Monetary Fund. The Bank of China has also announced the vacancy for Vice President after Zhu Min's transfer. But both the IMF's China branch and Zhu Min himself are unaware of the reports. Will he join the IMF? What's his background? And why he is regarded as the right person for the job?

There have been rumors for a while about Zhu Min's move to the IMF. Media reports say that he will be transferred to the People's Bank of China before being appointed to the IMF.

Fifty-six-year-old Zhu Min has a Ph.D in Economics. He joined the Bank of China in 1996 after six years as an economist with the World Bank. At the BOC, he led the bank's Hong Kong restructuring and IPO in 2002. Then he led the group's IPO in 2006, raising US$15 billion.

Zhu Min has also studied under former US Federal Reserve chairman, Paul Volcker. Given his international experience, Zhu Min is seen as qualified for the IMF role.

If the appointment is confirmed, Zhu Min will be the first Chinese to take the position... and the second after Justin Lin, chief economist at the World Bank, to play a key role at an international financial institution.

IMF is an international organization of 186 countries, working to foster global growth and economic stability. It has three deputy managing directors, who come mainly from Europe.

(CCTV October 17, 2009)