About the Center: The IMF Shanghai Center was opened on December 8, 2025 by the IMF’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. It is co-sponsored by the IMF and the People’s Bank of China, and it is located in the Huangpu district of Shanghai.
Objectives: The Center will conduct economic and financial research relevant to emerging market and middle-income countries. It will enhance engagement with the Asia and Pacific region and enable the cross-fertilization of ideas and policies, in the region and beyond. It will also enhance the appreciation of Asian perspectives, including within the IMF, and serve as a bridge between economists at headquarters and economic scholars in Asia.
Our staff
Johannes Wiegand, Director, IMF Shanghai Center 
Johannes Wiegand, a German national, has been the Director of the IMF Shanghai Center since May 2025. An IMF economist for more than 25 years, Dr. Wiegand previously led the IMF’s Regional Studies Division for Asia and the Pacific, and the Climate and Development Policy Division in the Strategy, Policy and Review Department. He also held senior positions in the IMF’s Research and European Departments. Dr. Wiegand has published on a wide range of topics, including structural transformation and growth in Asia and the Pacific, European monetary and economic history, currency regimes, dollarization, and global climate change mitigation policies. Prior to joining the IMF, he taught at the London School of Economics and wrote commentaries for the Financial Times. He holds a PhD in economics from University College London and undergraduate degrees in economics and philosophy from the University of Munich.
Cao Li, Deputy Director, IMF Shanghai Center
Ms. Li Cao, a Chinese national, has served as Deputy Director of the IMF Shanghai Center since September 2025. Over her 28-year career, she has held senior positions including Deputy Director General at the People’s Bank of China, Vice President of the Boao Forum for Asia Academy, Accompanying Person to the BIS Board Director, and Advisor to the Executive Director for China at the IMF. Ms. Li Cao has undertaken policy studies and practices in a wide range of areas such as global financial crisis bailouts, international financial standard setting, development finance, as well as digital and green sustainable development. She has led teams in producing flagship reports such as the Asian Economic Outlook and integration. Ms. Li Cao holds a Master’s degree in International Finance from the Tsinghua-PBC School of Finance at Tsinghua University and a Bachelor’s degree from Renmin University of China.
Qingyang Luo, Administrative Coordinator, IMF Shanghai Center
Qingyang Luo, a Chinese national, has been an administrative coordinator at the IMF Shanghai Center since November 2025. She worked in several United Nations offices on matters related to international trade and development. From 2022 to 2025, she supported SME export training, contributed to market-access research, and helped coordinate major international trade fairs at the United Nations International Trade Centre. Previously, she assisted a member of International Law Commission with legal research and meeting documentation and supported library and research services at the United Nations Office at Geneva. Ms. Luo holds a master’s degree in international law from the Graduate Institute Geneva and a bachelor’s degree in law from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Office Line
+86 021-6366-6908
ADDRESS
777 Zhongshan South Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai 200011
Official Opening and Inaugural Research Seminar
The Shanghai Center celebrated its official opening on December 8, 2025.
