A Canadian former executive at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is criticizing Canada's membership in the institution, saying it's inconsistent with Canadian values.
"I didn't find a single, tangible benefit to communicate back home here to Canada of what this bank does that is consistent with our values in a way that would benefit Canadians," Bob Pickard, who resigned from the AIIB last week, told Power & Politics host David Cochrane in an interview Monday.
"All we're doing, with our membership in this bank, is we're making China look good as a country able to do multilateralism. We are effectively supporting the Chinese image campaign to show that they are ready to assume world leadership."
Pickard was director general of communications at the AIIB for just over a year. He resigned last week, alleging the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) wields undue influence over the bank.
Following his resignation, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland announced Canada would freeze and review Canada's membership at the AIIB. Canada joined in March 2018.
The bank, which funds infrastructure projects around the world with a focus on Asia and the Pacific, was created 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 approved funding for 221 projects so far at a cost of approximately $42 billion US.
Pickard said he was hired in part to improve the bank's image by emphasizing that it's 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 had hoped for," Pickard said.
"The longer I've been with the bank, the more I've realized that what it does does not align with the values of [Canada]. We believe in openness, we believe in transparency, we expect accountability. I would say that these are not exactly the things that I experienced at the bank."
'Don't cross the party people'
Pickard said the president's office at AIIB is filled with CCP members who receive reports from other party members working in other areas of the bank. Their goal, said Pickard, is to make sure the bank's activities align with the CCP's priorities, and they form a separate power structure outside the bank's formal hierarchy.
While that's how the Chinese government commonly exercises influence over Chinese businesses, Pickard said it shouldn't be happening at an ostensibly independent, multinational organization.
"Anybody who's worked there for more than a few months knows who the party people are," Pickard said.
"When I joined the bank I was told, 'This is a party person, that's a party person, and don't cross the party people.'"
The bank has disputed Pickard's claims, saying it "has supported and empowered [Pickard] to perform his role."
"Mr. Pickard's recent public comments and characterization of the Bank are baseless and disappointing," the bank 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 apathy about Canada's membership and role at the bank.
"It's just something that we should 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 was just letting me know where Canada stands."
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June 21, 2023 at 02:50AM
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Canada getting no 'tangible benefit' from membership in Asian infrastructure bank: former executive - CBC News
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