At its inaugural annual meeting in Beijing, China, this week, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank — the world’s newest multilateral institution — will bid to position itself as a leader in Asia-Pacific development financing.
The establishment and operations of AIIB have been an anticipated event in the global development community. Some experts and development leaders initially expressed concern about the intent of the Chinese-led financial institution, and particularly on how much influence the Beijing government has over the bank and the kind of safeguards framework it plans to implement once infrastructure projects start rolling out.
But six months after opening, the AIIB’s first annual meeting will seek to demonstrate the $100 billion bank’s seriousness in making a difference in the lives of the people it wants to help — and give a glimpse of how it will operate in the years to come.
About the author
Lean Alfred Santos@DevexLeanAS
Lean Alfred Santos is a former Devex development reporter focusing on the development community in Asia-Pacific, including major players such as the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. He previously covered Philippine and international business and economic news, sports and politics.
