Ex-AIIB Comms Chief Says Was Advised To Flee China After Fiery Dismissal

A senior employee of the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) said Thursday he was advised to flee the country after resigning from the bank in protest of what he said was influence from the Chinese Communist Party.

Bob Pickard, a Canadian national and former global communications chief for the AIIB, announced his resignation on Wednesday in a scathing social media post. Hours later, Ottawa said it was freezing ties to the bank while it investigated the allegations.

Founded by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2016 as a Chinese alternative to the World Bank and other Western-led multilateral credit institutions, AIIB has 106 members worldwide, including Canada, and says it is an “apolitical” lender.

“I got it out of there as quickly as I could,” Pickard told Reuters in a telephone interview, adding that he had fled to Japan after handing in his resignation earlier this week.

“I have been advised not to set foot in China for the time being. Coming from a country where the two Michaels were kidnapped by the government, we might be a little more sensitive or concerned about such things,” he said, referring to the high-profile case of two Canadians who have been held in China for nearly three years since 2018. -2021.

He did not respond to those who advised him to flee.

The Chinese embassy in Canada said late Wednesday that Pickard’s statements were “lies.”

China’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that the AIIB adheres to “the principles of openness, meritocracy and transparency” in recruiting and managing staff.

The AIIB said earlier on Wednesday it had accepted Pickard’s resignation, calling his comments “unfounded and disappointing”. It did not respond to a subsequent request for comment.

The Canadian embassy in China did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

‘NOT IN CANADA’S INTERESTS’

Pickard said he did not believe Canada’s interests were being served by the bank.

“I felt that the power of the (Communist) Party people was hindering our ability to communicate clearly and transparently,” said Pickard, who declined to give specific examples due to confidentiality agreements.

“I believe that my country’s taxpayers should not fund this organization, which will ultimately benefit China more than any benefit to Canada.”

Canada’s Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Wednesday the country was freezing ties as it investigated the matter and was not ruling out any outcome, a hint that Ottawa could pull out of a bank it officially joined in March 2018.

“The relevant person’s comments about AIIB are pure sensational hype and outright lies,” the Chinese embassy in Canada said in a statement on its website on Wednesday.

China is an important member of the AIIB and has always followed multilateral rules and procedures, the embassy said.

“Some countries often point the finger at others and make irresponsible remarks… This kind of behavior is clearly ‘authoritarian’ behavior,” the embassy added.

The clash marks another dip in bilateral relations between Canada and China, which have been frosty for the past five years. Last month, China expelled a Canadian diplomat in Shanghai after Ottawa ordered a Toronto-based Chinese diplomat to leave, citing foreign interference.

Canada has accused China of trying to meddle in its business through various schemes, including illegal police stations and attacking lawmakers. Beijing denies all such allegations.

Pickard, a PR veteran, joined the AIIB in March 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Earlier this year, AIIB’s president said the bank would not get caught up in political disputes.

By Laurie Chen