Did IMF chief Georgieva pressure staff to alter World Bank report on China?

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IMF Chief Denies Pressuring Staff to Alter World Bank Report on China

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has disputed the findings of an independent investigation that concluded she pressured World Bank staff to alter a report concerning China. The World Bank has subsequently announced the immediate discontinuation of its "Doing Business" report following the investigation's revelations of irregularities in the 2018 and 2020 editions. Georgieva, who assumed leadership of the IMF in October 2019, has fundamentally disagreed with the investigation's conclusions regarding her involvement in the 2018 report.
Allegations of Pressure Regarding China's Ranking

The investigation found that Beijing had expressed dissatisfaction with its 78th place ranking in the 2017 "Doing Business" report, and the subsequent year's report was projected to show a further decline. During the final weeks before the 2018 report's release, Georgieva, then the World Bank's CEO, along with then-President Jim Kim, reportedly asked staff to review and update the methodology as it pertained to China. This occurred while the World Bank was engaged in sensitive negotiations to increase its lending capital, which required the support of both China and the United States.
Changes Made to China's 2018 Ranking

Under pressure from senior management, staff members reportedly altered some input data. These changes resulted in an upward revision of China's ranking by seven places, bringing it to 78th in the 2018 "Doing Business" report, effectively maintaining its position from the previous year. The investigation, which analysed approximately 80,000 documents and interviewed over three dozen current and former employees, detailed these adjustments.
Georgieva's Interactions with Staff

The report indicated that Georgieva had reprimanded a senior World Bank official for "mishandling the Bank's relationship with China and failing to appreciate the importance of the Doing Business report to the country." Following the implementation of the data changes, she expressed gratitude to this individual for "doing his part for multilateralism." Additionally, Georgieva later visited a manager involved with the report to retrieve a copy and thanked them for their assistance in "resolving the problem."
Broader Concerns and Report Discontinuation

The investigation also uncovered "improper changes" affecting the rankings of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Azerbaijan in the 2020 edition of the "Doing Business" report. These findings have prompted the US Treasury to state that the conclusions are serious and that they are analysing the report, emphasizing their commitment to upholding the integrity of international financial institutions. In light of the irregularities, the World Bank decided to discontinue the "Doing Business" report entirely.

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Did IMF chief Georgieva pressure staff to alter World Bank report on China?

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