CRI听力:Vice Premier Highlights New Type of Partnership at First AIIB Annual Meeting

Chinese vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli, addressing the Board of Governors session, says the AIIB belongs to all its members.

He says it has been designed specifically to promote regional, as well as worldwide development.

In saying that, Zhang Gaoli says a new type of partnership requires the AIIB to deepen collaboration among all its members, as well as strengthen ties with other bilateral and multilateral development banks and other policy-based financial institutions.

"The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, along with the World Bank, and other existing multilateral investment banks, as well as other global infrastructural funds, will fund a specialised mechanism for infrastructural investment, and build a closer cooperative mechanism."

Zhang Gaoli also says the AIIB is also going to put an emphasis on allowing emerging markets and developing countries to have more of a say in global economic governance.

AIIB president Jin Liqun says the Bank's Board of Governors has also approved of a fund to support project preparation costs.

He says the Chinese government is already promising to seed that new fund with $50 million US dollars.

"We have delivered our first batch of projects, and together with our clients, are building a multi-year pipeline of diverse projects. And just yesterday, the Directors approved the establishment of a special fund to support members with project preparation. Please allow me, on behalf of the bank, to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to the People's Republic of China, the first donor to the Fund."

The AIIB has just finished approving the release of $509 million US dollars for the first four projects it plans to back.

The money will be used to cover development projects in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

Meanwhile, responding to this past week's historic decision by British voters to leave the European Union, Jin Liqun says the Brexit is worrisome, but shouldn't affect cooperation between Britain and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

"We got the news of the Brexit which rocked the markets across the world, and which is a little bit worrisome. But as I said, I believe the bank will continue to work very closely with European countries including UK which will remain one of the most important shareholders."

Jin liqun does admit the decision by British voters to leave the European Union may affect the AIIB's thinking when it comes to establishing future offices in either the UK or the European Union.

Britain, as well as a number of countries in the European Union, are founding-members of the AIIB.