Last month, Taiwan joined the rush of last-minute applicants seeking to claim founding member status in Beijing’s new Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). China has been approving individual applications since the March 31 deadline– and today, the State Council’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) confirmed that Taiwan’s application has been denied.
On Monday, Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for TAO, said that Taiwan’s bid to become a founding member had been rejected. In his comments, Ma confirmed a previous report by China Review News that said Taiwan would not be allowed to join as a founding member, but would be welcomed to join at a later date.
Ma did not specifically say why Taiwan’s bid had been denied, but pointed to the argument in Taiwan over how and under what name Taiwan would join AIIB. Taiwan’s executive branch had applied for AIIB through the TAO (rather than directly through the AIIB secretariat), sparking protests. Critics alleged that, by applying through TAO, Taiwan’s government had indirectly acknowledged Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is a part of the People’s Republic of China. Critics also complained of a lack of transparency over what name Taiwan would use in the AIIB – an issue that directly relates to perceptions of Taiwanese sovereignty (or lack thereof). Supporters of the decision argued that joining AIIB is crucial for making sure Taiwan does not become economically marginalized.
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