China to name Zou Lan as central bank deputy governor, sources say

BEIJING, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Zou Lan, head of the monetary policy department at the People's Bank of China (PBOC), will be promoted to deputy governor of the central bank, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.

The appointment will be announced as soon as this week, according to the sources, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The PBOC did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Zou is set to become the youngest deputy governor at the central bank, which has one governor and four deputy governors.

Born in 1974, Zou brings a strong financial background to the role, having graduated from Fudan University's accounting department. His career at the PBOC includes early roles in its monetary policy department and foreign exchange trade system.

Zou was promoted to director of the PBOC's financial markets department in July 2019.

He has been at the forefront of handling financial risks, particularly in internet finance and real estate sectors. One of his notable roles included managing the Evergrande crisis that roiled the property sector in 2021.

In May 2022, Zou replaced Sun Guofeng as director of the PBOC's monetary policy department. Sun, who was dismissed from his role, was sentenced to 16 years and six months in prison in 2023 for taking bribes, leaking state secrets and insider trading. (Reporting by Beijing Newsroom Editing by Shri Navaratnam)