The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is holding its 10th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors from June 24 to 26 in Beijing.
The Bank is not only celebrating its first decade, but also taking the opportunity to discuss its future with its stakeholders.
We met with Jin Liqun, President and Chair of the Board of Directors of AIIB, as he prepares to step down, to reflect on the Bank’s mission, its development over the past decade, and the path ahead.
Developed and developing countries working together
Jin Liqun pointed out that one of AIIB’s main missions is to help member countries to improve their infrastructure.
“The infrastructure projects are designed, implemented, and managed in a way in which you can improve the environment, reduce emissions, and keep the economy sustainable”, he said.
Working on infrastructure is therefore not only a goal, but also the means to achieve success in making countries sustainable. Jin Liqun saw this firsthand growing up in rural China, noting that the country took off after 15 years of massive investment in infrastructure.
“My life in rural China helped me understand the needs and aspirations of the people in many countries that need development support”.
10 years of achievements
The 10th Annual Meeting is the opportunity for the Bank and its stakeholders to review AIIB’s achievements over the last 10 years.
The figures are substantial — $60 billion in financing across 310 projects in 40 countries — but Jin Liqun was keen to emphasise the people and stories behind the numbers.
He pointed to projects such as protecting the tropical rainforest in Brazil, building a road in Ivory Coast, and developing renewable energy and waste treatment facilities in Egypt — all financed by the AIIB.
“We allocated resources for critical infrastructure projects so that they could generate incomes, sustain economies, and create more jobs for women, particularly. And to create better prospects for their children”.
And it is working, as the AIIB receives and monitors results from its investments.
A new decade
The event is not only a time to review the Bank’s achievements, but also to look at its future.
“This Annual Meeting is an opportunity to see whether there is room for improvement for the next decade under the new President” said Jin Liqun.
However, future improvements will not mean that AIIB will change the strong foundation on which the Bank was built.
“We have set up a Bank built on high-level governance and being run by international best practice” concluded Jin Liqun.
“The message is: we should stay the course.”
As it enters its second decade, the AIIB is looking ahead — not by changing course, but by building on the principles that have defined its first ten years. Ten years on, the AIIB is positioning itself not just as a bank, but as a platform for long-term, inclusive development — with its next chapter already in motion.
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