The Asian Development Bank has appointed Zhang Wencai as vice-president, according to a press release from the bank on Wednesday.

Zhang will be responsible for operations in South, Central and West Asia.

He currently heads the Department of External Economic Cooperation at China's Ministry of Finance.

Zhang is the third Chinese to hold such a post at ADB in the past 10 years, following Jin Liqun and Zhao Xiaoyu.

Zhang has held various senior positions in the ministry since 1989, overseeing loan programs, technical assistance and training, international financial institutions, and international economic relations.

He was ADB's executive director for China from April 2007 to September 2009, and adviser to the World Bank’s executive director for China from December 1993 to May 1996.

Zhang holds a doctorate degree in finance from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing and master's degree in international economics from the Nankai University in Tianjin.