"It is absolutely natural that China will play an increasingly important role in the world economic affairs," John Lipsky, first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), said on Wednesday.

Lipsky made the comments at a press conference organized on the sidelines of the 15th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum Finance Ministers' meeting.

Lipsky said China, with its high economic growth, will play a more important role in the world economic affairs.

The IMF, as an international organization that oversees the global financial system by following the macroeconomic policies of its member countries, has acted as an emergency loan lender in the current international financial crisis.

Lipsky promised that the Fund would set up a new surveillance system to play a more positive role in tackling financial crisis.

(Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2008)