French government says China backs Lagarde for IMF

A number, including Britain and Italy, have said they would back Lagarde ,and Ireland added its support on Tuesday. Germany has yet to declare, but Chancellor Angela Merkel says she rates Lagarde highly.

"It's a European consensus," Francois Baroin, France's budget minister and government spokesman, told Europe 1 radio of views on Lagarde as a contender for the job.

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"The euro needs our attention, we need to have the Europeans (on board), the Chinese support the candidacy of Christine Lagarde," he said.

China's Foreign Ministry said it had no comment on whether Beijing would back Lagarde, a 55-year-old former lawyer.

The one potential hitch facing Lagarde is a possible legal probe into her role in a 2008 payout to a prominent businessman to settle a dispute with a state-owned bank. Judges will rule on June 10 -- the same date countries must submit candidates for the IMF job -- on whether to launch an inquiry.

Last week, the head of China's central bank, Zhou Xiaochuan, said the IMF's leadership should reflect the growing stature of emerging economies, but he stopped short of saying its new boss should be from an emerging economy.

An adviser to the People's Bank of China, Xia Bin, told Reuters a bigger issue than the succession was the United States' dominant voting share at the IMF.

Wu Qing, a researcher with the Development Research Centre government think tank in Beijing, said it seemed logical China would support Lagarde or any other well-qualified European.

"It's not likely that China would back someone from Asia, especially from within China. There still aren't many people within the Chinese system with an extensive international background," he said. "I don't think it matters much to China whether the next IMF head is French or any other European."

Ireland's Europe minister, Lucinda Creighton, said it was quite likely Ireland would back a Lagarde candidacy.

"Already you have the backing of New Zealand and a number of European member states for Christine Lagarde. I think it's quite possible that the U.S. will row in behind her as well," Creighton told state broadcaster RTE.