Emerging economies must play a bigger part in unravelling global economic and trade imbalances that have helped create the financial crisis, according to Stephen Harper, Canada's prime minister.

In an interview with the Financial Times yesterday, Mr Harper expressed the hope that if participants at the G20 summit in London discuss these imbalances, “it isn't just about the desire or the ‘right' of emerging economies to play a bigger role according to their growing power, but also [about] their responsibilities”.

The role of emerging economies in the global financial system has been highlighted by such issues as the argument over China's manipulation of its currency, the US's yawning current account deficit and moves by developing countries, led by Beijing, to gain a bigger say in the International Monetary Fund.