China to skip IMF meet

China's central bank governor and finance minister won't be attending IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Tokyo this week, a Japanese official said today – cancellations that come as the two Asian giants remain at odds over a cluster of tiny islands both claim.

The IMF confirmed that People's Bank of China Gov Zhou Xiaochuan, who was scheduled to give the event's closing speech on Sunday, wouldn't be coming to Tokyo, citing scheduling problems.

The IMF said his deputy, Yi Gang, will represent him at the meeting and will deliver Sunday's lecture. The IMF couldn't confirm that finance minister Xie Xuren had also cancelled his trip. China's finance ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

First Published: Oct 10, 2012 23:43 IST