World Bank president Robert Zoellick announced on Monday the appointment of Justin Yifu Lin as its Chief Economist and Senior Vice-President for Development Economics. He is the first Chief Economist from a developing country.

Zoellick said in a statement announcing the appointment that Lin "brings a unique set of skills and experience to the World Bank Group."

Lin is founding director of the China Center for Economic Research at Peking University, where he is also a professor. He is vice-chairman of the Committee for Economic Affairs of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

He graduated from Taiwan's Chengchi University, earned his MA at Peking University in 1982 and a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago in 1986, an AFP report said.

He is also credited with having a hand in China's modernization.

Lin, who was born in Taiwan in 1952, defected to China in 1979by swimming 2,000 meters from Jinmen island to Fujian province, AFP said.

He went on to become a senior member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Institute of Rural Development Research in Beijing.

He has won China's top economic honor, the Sun Yefang award, twice, for his research and writing. He is known for his work on fiscal decentralization, enterprise reform, urban and rural modernization and agricultural innovation and reform.

Lin will take up his position at the World Bank on May 31. He will replace Frenchman Francois Bourguignon, who retired last year to become Director of the Paris School of Economics.

"China's experiences can help the World Bank shore up its leading role in global poverty reduction," Lin told Xinhua after the announcement was made.