Canadian move triggers a tempest in AIIB's teapot

Like most multilateral development banks, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has kept a low profile since its establishment. With a governance structure comparable to those of other multilateral development banks, the AIIB has without any song and dance focused on providing funds for countries in the region to help them build or improve their infrastructure and boost their capability to, for example, combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the recent resignation of Bob Pickard from the AIIB has triggered what appears to be a tempest in a teapot. A Canadian national, Pickard, who was the director-general of the AIIB's Department of Communication, alleged that the bank is "dominated by the Communist Party of China" in his resignation letter. The AIIB has thus been forced to respond to this baseless charge.

Apparently unaware of why Pickard made such an allegation, the AIIB said that it had supported Pickard since he took up his position in March 2022. Yet, as an international organization, the AIIB has acted in a professional manner by ordering an investigation into Pickard's claim.