The International Monetary Fund is an intergovernmental financial institution established to coordinate international monetary policy and financial relations.

According to the "International Monetary Fund Agreement" adopted at the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference held in Bretton Woods in July 1944, the International Monetary Fund was formally established in December 1945 and is headquartered in the capital of the United States. Washington, it is a specialized agency of the United Nations but has operational independence.

The purpose of the International Monetary Fund is to help member states balance their international payments, stabilize exchange rates, and promote the development of international trade.

Its main mission is to solve the problem of temporary imbalances in the international balance of payments of member states and meet their foreign exchange capital needs by providing short-term funds to member states, so as to promote the stability of exchange rates and the expansion of international trade.

The sources of funds for the International Monetary Fund are: the quota paid by member states, interest and other income obtained from the use of funds, donations and special funds from certain member states, and official and market borrowings.

Among them, the subscribed share is the most important source of funds.

The number of subscribed shares not only determines a country’s status and voting rights, but also determines the amount of IMF loans that member states receive.