FRENCH Finance Minister Christine Lagarde arrived in Beijing yesterday to seek support for her campaign for the IMF’s top job after failing to win an endorsement for her candidacy from India.

China, India and other developing nations have been pushing for a bigger say in running the IMF and World Bank to reflect their growing economic clout. They have called for an end to the convention that requires the head of the Washington-based International Monetary Fund to be from Europe, but have not agreed on a common candidate.

Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday would only say the IMF managing director should be chosen on merit, not nationality.

Lagarde is one of two declared candidates to replace Dominique Strauss-Kahn. The other is Mexican Central Bank Governor Agustin Carstens.

China has given no sign whether it backs either one, saying it wants the next IMF leader to be selected through “democratic negotiation.”

Lagarde, who already has the backing of many European countries including Germany and Britain, was scheduled to stay in China until today, said a spokesman for the French Embassy in Beijing. He spoke anonymously in line with policy. Lagarde will hold a news conference today.

Strauss-Kahn quit as IMF head three weeks ago after he was charged with sexually assaulting a New York hotel maid, an allegation he denies.

The next leader of the IMF, which lends money to countries to help resolve balance of payments problems and financial crises, will be elected June 30 by the body’s 24-member executive board. The IMF voting system gives the votes of European countries and the United States more weight.

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa issued a joint statement late last month expressing support for “abandoning the obsolete unwritten practice” that requires the head of the IMF to be from Europe.

(SD-Agencies)