It should keep it that way. Here’s why.

By Patricia Adams and Lawrence Solomon, published by The Epoch Times

In 2023, Canada embarrassed China by dramatically suspending its membership in the scandal-plagued, CCP-controlled Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Given Ottawa’s latest deal with China and its pursuit of a “strategic partnership,” there is reason to fear that Canada may unwisely return to the AIIB fold once again.

Go to the publisher’s website here to read the original commentary in full.

Summary by Probe International

Economists and China analysts, Patricia Adams and Lawrence Solomon, argue that Canada should maintain its suspension from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which it halted in 2023 due to concerns over the bank’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The suspension followed allegations from Bob Pickard, the bank’s former global communications director and a Canadian national, who claimed the institution was dominated by Communist Party members and beset by a toxic internal culture. Pickard, who resigned and fled China, accused CCP officials of manipulating the bank to further Beijing’s geopolitical agenda. His resignation garnered significant media attention, prompting the Canadian government to halt its AIIB membership to avoid negative publicity.

Despite Canada’s initial investment of US$1 billion in the AIIB in 2018—aimed at securing lucrative contracts for Canadian companies—Adams and Solomon note the anticipated benefits never materialized, with Canadian firms receiving very few contracts.

The authors warn that rejoining the AIIB could signal goodwill to Beijing and further entrench Canada within China’s sphere of influence, undermining national interests as Canada seeks to diversify its partnerships away from the U.S. They emphasize that the AIIB functions more as an extension of China’s geopolitical agenda than as a genuine multilateral development institution.

Articles by Daniel Wagner, a former senior investment officer at the AIIB, are quoted in reference to Wagner’s concerns that Beijing is actively working to establish an alternative world order that prioritizes Chinese interests. This, he says, poses the risk that international institutions may be unwittingly manipulated due to gaps in their regulations. In a recent op-ed, he highlighted China’s increasing control over the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, particularly following the 2026 appointment of Zou Jiayi as president. Zou is noted for her strong connections to the CCP, the finance ministry, and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference—an organization instrumental in enforcing CCP ideology and consensus.

Forewarned is forearmed.

Patricia Adams is an economist and executive director of Probe International.

Lawrence Solomon is a columnist for the National Post and Epoch Times, and a past columnist for the Globe and Mail. The Deniers, a #1 environmental best seller on global warming, was deemed one of the “10 Books That Drive The Debate” by the US National Chamber of Commerce.