China has become the first member to nominate a candidate for president of the emerging Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, according to a Finance Ministry statement on Monday.

The selection of Jin Liqun, currently secretary-general of the Multilateral Interim Secretariat for the AIIB, is not surprising, analysts said. Long before the announcement, Jin had been widely discussed by outsiders as the most likely candidate for the post.

"Jin Liqun ... has an outstanding leadership record in the public and private sectors, and in multilateral development institutions," the statement said.