Lagarde discusses IMF reform with Chinese vice premier

International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde met Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan on Saturday in Beijing, where they discussed reforming the IMF, state media reported. Lagarde is in Beijing on a two-day trip to attend a forum on China's development, where she will give the opening address. State news agency Xinhua reported the IMF chief and Wang discussed reform of the fund, but did not give further details. IMF spokesman Gerry Rice had said ahead of the meeting that discussions in Beijing "would touch on a broad number of important issues". These would include "the state of the global economy, the implications of the eurozone crisis for Asia, for China, the status of progress in the Chinese economy", he said. Also on the agenda would be "the collective effort which has been supported by the IMF members... to strengthen the global firewall against potential contagion," Rice said. Earlier this month, Lagarde tapped the Chinese IMF official Jianhai Lin, who has been acting secretary since November, as the Fund's next secretary. Lin, whose appointment takes affect on March 22, will hold the key post in the department responsible for the operations of the IMF executive board and serves as a main contact point for the institution's 187 member countries. After the China development forum Sunday, Lagarde will travel to New Delhi on March 18-19 to take part in an IMF-backed conference on "Sustaining a High-Quality Growth" in the economies of India and China.