The U.S. nominee for the World Bank presidency, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, met with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan March 31 in Shaoxing, China. They discussed how the World Bank can promote the rapid development and poverty alleviation achieved by China and South Korea throughout the developing world.
Kim also reiterated his belief that emerging economies should have a strong voice in the World Bank. China is the second stop on Kim’s global listening tour as he solicits priorities and ideas for the future of the World Bank.
President Obama announced Kim’s nomination March 23, saying: “Jim has spent more than two decades working to improve conditions in developing countries around the world. The World Bank is one of the most powerful tools we have to reduce poverty and raise standards of living around the globe, and Jim’s personal experience and years of service make him an ideal candidate for this job.”
Kim is a physician with a background in global health issues and critical health problems in developing countries. He was born in South Korea and immigrated to the United States with his parents when he was 5. He currently serves as president of Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.