A single tweet alleging Communist Party interference was enough for Canada to freeze ties with a Chinese-run development bank last week. The question now is will other US allies join Canada – and would Beijing even care?
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank controversy began Wednesday when Bob Pickard – its former global communications chief – tweeted that he was quitting his job because the lender was “dominated by Communist Party members and also has one of the most toxic cultures .” Conceivable.” Within hours, Canadian Treasury Secretary Chrystia Freeland announced that she would halt all activity with the bank while the government conducted a review.
The AIIB quickly dismissed the claims. Vice President and Corporate Secretary Ludger Schuknecht said the bank welcomed Canada’s review because “we have nothing to hide.” China called the whole thing “a sensational publicity stunt and an outright lie.”
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