Beijing,June 15 (AseanAll) — A Canadian executive has resigned from global communications director at the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), criticizing the bank for being dominated by Communist Party members.
On June 14, Bob Pickard , the global communications director of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) said he had resigned and criticised the bank as 'dominated by the Communist Party', allegations which the AIIB said were 'baseless'.
Bob Pickard. Photo source: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
“As a patriotic Canadian, this was my only course,” Pickard said in a tweet. “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.”
Pickard, who joined AIIB in March 2022, said it was “only after working there for many months that I became aware of how that’s where the true power is concentrated inside the bank — the CCP crowd who operate like a secret police.”
Pickard added: “Communist Party hacks hold the cards at the Bank. They deal with some board members as useful idiots.”
“I believe that my Government should not be a member of this PRC instrument. The reality of power in the bank is that it’s CCP from start to finish,” he said. Concerned for his security, Pickard didn’t announce his exit from AIIB “until back in the free world,” he wrote from Japan.
Prior to the AIIB, Pickard served as Asia/Pacific chair at Huntsworth, Asia/Pacific CEO at Burson-Marsteller, and North Asia president at Edelman.
Regarding Bob Pickard's resignation and accusations, the Asian Investment Bank issued a statement on June 14th in response.
The statement said that AIIB has accepted the resignation of Mr. Bob Pickard, who has served as the Director General of the Communications Department since March 2022. Throughout this time, the Bank has supported and empowered him to perform his role.
"Mr. Pickard’s recent public comments and characterization of the Bank are baseless and disappointing," said the statement ,"We are proud of our multilateral mission and have a diverse international team representing 65 different nationalities and members at AIIB, serving our 106 members worldwide, many of whom have been with us since our formation in 2016."
"The recruitment process to identify a successor will be shortly underway and in the interim the Bank’s communications will be seamlessly driven by an Acting Director General," said the statement.
The AIIB funds infrastructure projects outside China to expand the reach and political influence of its government.The Chinese-led development bank currently has 106 member countries, including France, UK, Canada, Australia, Russia and most of Asia are members.
