CRI听力:30 Nations Approved as AIIB Founding Members

Thirty countries have now been officially approved as prospective founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

According to the Foreign Ministry of China, the final numbers will be confirmed on April 15.

Ahead of the March 31 deadline, Sweden has become the latest country applying to join the China-proposed Investment bank as a founding member.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson says China welcomes all interested countries to join the AIIB and will spare no efforts in building the bank into a professional and effective financing platform.

"Proposing to build the AIIB is a constructive move that China made to undertake more international responsibility and to complete the existing international economic order. It is also a good supplement to the existing multilateral development banks, a win-win and all-win proposal for Asia and the world," said Hua Chunying Tuesday in Beijing.

Also on Tuesday, Taiwan has submitted a letter of intent on joining the AIIB.

The island's last-minute application, submitted by the mainland affairs agency to the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, will be relayed to the AIIB's interim secretariat, according to a statement by the island's finance authority.

From Japan, the Japanese Finance Minister said on Tuesday that Japan will not sign up to join the China-proposed Bank by the deadline of March 31.

On Monday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew says that the United States is looking forward to cooperating with the AIIB, as it welcomes and supports all proposals that are helpful to infrastructure construction.

So far more than 40 countries have applied to join the AIIB.

CRI’s Spencer Musick spoke to John Ross, senior fellow of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University, who offered his take on these latest developments.