'Outright lies': China slams accusations against investment bank

By Necva Tastan

ISTANBUL (AA) – China’s Embassy in Canada Wednesday called accusations against the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) by a former Canadian employee “baseless and disappointing.”

“The individual’s remarks are outright lies meant to sensationalize,” the Chinese embassy said in a statement.

The embassy’s comments came in response to accusations leveled by the AIIB’s former global communications director, Bob Pickard – a Canadian national who resigned from the job on Wednesday.

Pickard said on Twitter: "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."

“China, as a valued member of the AIIB, consistently adheres to multilateral regulations and protocols,” said the embassy.

Founded in 2016, the AIIB is an international financial institution with a focus to support infrastructure construction in the Asia-Pacific region and boasts 106 members, including China and Canada.