* C.banker says export drop would have justified depreciation
* Says still sticking to policy of stability
* U.S. official reiterates call for stronger yuan
BEIJING, Dec 9 (Reuters) - The yuan's exchange rate should not play a primary role in efforts to rebalance the global economy, a vice governor of China's central bank said on Wednesday, deflecting continuing pressure for it to rise.
Instead, Zhu Min emphasised that China had kept the yuan
Asked at a panel discussion at a financial conference whether the yuan should appreciate, Zhu said in English: "Exchange rate should not play a key role in the rebalancing of the global economy."
"China suffered an export drop, so there is good reason for the yuan to depreciate, but we take the same policy as we did before to stabilise it," he added.
Pressure has been growing from other countries for Beijing to let the yuan strengthen, as it continues to rack up big trade surpluses with key trading partners, including the United States.
At the same forum, David Dollar, the U.S. Treasury's economic and financial emissary to China, kept up Washington's message that it thinks a stronger yuan is needed to help ease imbalances by increasing domestic consumption.
"A stronger currency makes Chinese people wealthier, and wealthier people will spend more and consume more," Dollar said.
The government has kept the yuan steady at about 6.83 per dollar since July 2008, even as the dollar has weakened against other major currencies, prompting renewed calls for Beijing to return to greater flexibility.
A more important issue for rebalancing was that the dollar is currently too weak, Zhu said.
Chinese officials have consistently said they plan to stick to their policy on the currency. Premier Wen Jiabao drove that point home late last month, when he told visiting European officials that lifting the yuan could hobble growth and that Beijing would keep the currency basically stable. (Reporting by Aileen Wang and Jason Subler; Editing by Ken Wills)