Global Courant
A Canadian former director of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) criticizes the institution’s Canadian membership, saying it conflicts with Canadian values.
“I have not found any tangible benefit in communicating to Canada here at home about what this bank is doing that aligns with our values in a way that would benefit Canadians,” said Bob Pickard, who resigned from the bank last week. AIIB. Power & Politics presented David Cochrane in an interview on Monday.
“All we are doing, with our membership in this bank, is we are making China look good as a country capable of multilateralism. We are effectively supporting China’s image campaign to show that they are ready to take global leadership in their own right. to take.”
Pickard was director general of communications at the AIIB for a little over a year. He resigned last week alleging that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is exerting undue influence over the bank.
Following his resignation, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland announced that Canada would freeze and review Canada’s membership in the AIIB. Canada joined in March 2018.
The bank, which finances infrastructure projects around the world with a focus on Asia and the Pacific, was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Beijing. It has a membership of 106 countries; the United States is not a member. AIIB’s website says it has so far approved funding for 221 projects amounting to approximately $42 billion US.
Pickard said he was hired in part to improve the bank’s image by emphasizing that it is a multinational and multilateral institution.
But there was a problem with that message, Pickard said — it wasn’t true.
“Actually, it has more in common with being a Chinese bank than I hoped,” Pickard said.
“The longer I’ve been with the bank, the more I’ve realized that what it’s doing doesn’t align with[Canada’s]values. We believe in openness, we believe in transparency, we expect accountability. I’d say these aren’t exactly the things I’ve been through at the bank.”
‘Don’t drop the partygoers’
Pickard said the president’s office at AIIB is filled with CCP members who receive reports from other party members who work in other parts of the bank. Their goal, Pickard said, is to ensure that the bank’s operations align with the CCP’s priorities and that they form a separate power structure outside of the bank’s formal hierarchy.
While the Chinese government usually influences Chinese companies in this way, Pickard said it shouldn’t happen to a seemingly independent, multinational organization.
“Anyone who has worked there for more than a few months knows who the partiers are,” Pickard said.
“When I got to the bank, I was told, ‘This is a party animal, that’s a party animal, and don’t disappoint the party people.'”
The bank has disputed Pickard’s claims, saying it “supported and authorized Pickard to carry out his role”.
“The recent public comments and characterization of the bank by Mr. Pickard are baseless and disappointing,” the bank said said in a media statement.
“We are proud of our multilateral mission and have a diverse international team representing 65 different nationalities and members at AIIB.”
Pickard said he had a conversation with AIIB president Jin Liqun a few months ago in which Jin expressed his apathy about Canada’s membership and role in the bank.
“It’s just something we need to be aware of,” he said.
“China has a habit of letting people know, other countries, where those countries stand, in the hierarchy of the world. He just let me know where Canada stands.”
