DUSHANBE, August 15, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- The Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), acting on the recommendation of President Haruhiko Kuroda, approved the appointment of Zhao Xiaoyu as Vice-President (Operations 1), press release, issued by the ADB Dushanbe Office, said.

He succeeds Jin Liqun who retired from ADB’s service on 31 July 2008.

As ADB’s Vice-President for Operations 1, Mr. Zhao will be overseeing the operations of the South Asia Department, the Central and West Asia Department, and the Private Sector Operations Department.

Mr. Zhao is currently the Deputy Governor (CFO) of the Export-Import Bank of China. He served as the Executive Director for the People’s Republic of China at ADB from March 1999 to September 2002.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2007, it approved $10.1 billion of loans, $673 million of grant projects, and technical assistance amounting to $243 million.