Bank of China Vice-President Zhu Min may soon take up a senior position at the nation's central bank, in a move that will eventually prepare him for a crucial post at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), people with knowledge of the matter said.

Though Zhu personally denied knowledge of his appointment as the vice-president of the nation's top monetary authority - the People's Bank of China - the source confirmed that the central bank had been officially informed about Zhu's new position.

The 56-year-old Zhu, a senior banker with ample international experience, might just become the second person after Justin Lin, the current World Bank chief economist, to play a key role at an international financial institution.