China's Head Banker Ditches IMF Meeting

China's central-bank governor, Zhou Xiaochuan, has canceled the lecture he was scheduled to give at the upcoming IMF annual meeting, a move that underscores* China's increasing frustration with its ongoing territorial dispute with Japan. Zhou's deputy will give the lecture on his behalf, but the Wall Street Journal points out that he has neither the connections nor the weight of Zhou himself. Japan reps say the move is embarrassing for China, but international leaders are growing concerned that the dispute is now spilling over into the global economy, since the country is a major player in the effort to solve the eurozone crisis. (More IMF stories.)