Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland made a surprising announcement on Wednesday, pledging to halt Canada’s activity with the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) after a prominent member alleged the entity was under the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
According to the Globe and Mail, Canada’s involvement at the AIIB – where Freeland sits as Canada’s Governor – will be placed under review pending further notice.
Breaking: Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland announces Canada immediately halting all activity with China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and launching review of Canada’s membership in AIIB and allegations of control by Chinese Communist Party.
— Steven Chase (@stevenchase) June 14, 2023
Canada entered the organization under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2018 in order to promote “inclusive global economic growth.”
The announcement comes after a top Canadian official with the bank publicly tendered his resignation from the AIIB citing nefarious influence at the upper levels by CCP officials.
Former AIIB Global Communications Chief Bob Pickard took to Twitter on Wednesday to announce his departure from the bank.
“As a patriotic Canadian, this was my only course. The Bank is dominated by Communist Party members and also has one of the most toxic cultures imaginable. I don’t believe that my country’s interests are served by its AIIB membership,” tweeted Pickard.
In a subsequent tweet, Pickard said that CCP treats some of the board members at the bank as “useful idiots.”
“Happy to be gone from that cesspool. The Communist Party hacks hold the cards at the Bank. They deal with some board members as useful idiots. I believe that my Government should not be a member of this PRC instrument. The reality of power in the bank is that it’s CCP from start to finish,” he tweeted.
I have tendered my resignation as the global comms chief of @AIIB_Official. As a patriotic Canadian, this was my only course. The Bank is dominated by Communist Party members and also has one of the most toxic cultures imaginable. I don’t believe that my country’s interests are…
— Bob Pickard (@BobPickard) June 14, 2023
Conservative Foreign Affairs Critic MP Michael Chong blasted the Liberal government for ignoring prior warnings raised about the bank.
“Pickard has confirmed what Conservatives have long said about the Beijing-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). It’s a tool of Beijing to export its authoritarian model of governance throughout the Indo-Pacific region,” said Chong.
“The AIIB is willing to skirt the rules-based international order and willing to lend to military juntas like the one in Myanmar.”
5/ Global Affairs Canada itself has warned the Trudeau government that the AIIB is an example of how Beijing “promotes perspectives on governance, economic security and human rights that diverge in fundamental ways from Canada’s.”#cdnpolihttps://t.co/z0jXgzKC7s
— Michael Chong 🇨🇦 (@MichaelChongMP) June 14, 2023
