Inclusive AIIB to boost sustainable growth

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank's opening ceremony will start in Beijing on Jan 16.On the eve of the event, China Daily's Zhang Zhouxiang sought the views of three experts on the AIIB's role in the world financial system and its influence on the global economy. Following are excerpts from the interviews:

The AIIB is both inclusive and open, and a global financial institution that believes in equality. That the Philippines joined the AIIB as a founding member on Dec 30, 2015, before the deadline, conclusively proves the bank is indeed open and inclusive, and it will boost development and cooperation in the region and beyond. It is important to note that the Philippines joined the AIIB despite having a maritime dispute with China.

The bank's openness is also reflected in the flexibility for the countries that have not yet ratified the AIIB agreement. More than 17 countries have ratified the AIIB agreement to become formal members, and one cannot rule out the possibility of some countries quitting the institution for not doing so. The AIIB council, however, could accept them as observers while the bank's board of directors might allow their representatives to attend meetings, and both measures will enable them to be part of the AIIB cooperation mechanism in a certain way.

In other words, the AIIB is open and innovative - very different from the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement - and will not exclude members from the trading bloc even if they fail to ratify the agreement before the deadline expires.

Chen Fengying, a senior researcher at the World Economy Research Center, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations