Economic Clout Rising, China Takes No. 3 Seat on World Bank

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The World Bank agreed Sunday to boost China's voting share to 4.42 percent, giving it the third biggest say after the United States and Japan.

China has earned a new degree of recognition for its growing influence on the global economy, after members of the World Bank decided Sunday to increase Beijing's voting power behind only the United States and Japan in the international lending body.

The boost underscored a broader decision at the bank's meeting to raise the share of votes held by developing countries to just over 47 percent, as part of ongoing reforms to give poorer countries a greater say in setting World Bank lending policy.

"It will enhance the …