AIIB chief wants Hong Kong to raise and manage funds for lender
Jin Liqun says Taiwan has to apply through the mainland’s finance ministry if the island wants to join AIIB
Top officials with the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will meet within weeks to discuss the mechanism to accept new members, including Hong Kong, said the lender’s president Jin Liqun yesterday.
Jin also expressed a strong interest in leveraging the city’s financial position to raise and manage funds for the AIIB.
More than 50 countries and economies have shown an interest in the bank, of which 30 have indicated a firm intention to join, including Hong Kong, Jin said. The lender hopes to increase the number of members to 100, nearly double the current 57. “We are going to have a second board meeting at the end of this month and we will discuss the procedure for accepting new members. Hong Kong is certainly part of this group,” Jin told an audience at a forum in the city.
“If things go well, in June we could have serious discussion of new members.”
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Jin said Taiwan would have to apply though the mainland’s Ministry of Finance if the island wanted to join as stipulated by the bank’s charter article of agreement.
“Our charter clause 3.3 has stipulated non-sovereign areas and those areas not responsible for their international affairs should apply through their sovereign governments. Hong Kong should apply through the Chinese Ministry of Finance and it should be the same case for Taiwan.