AIIB President: Plans to Double Annual Loan Approvals to About $20 Billion by 2030

The 11th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will be held in Qatar from September 28 to 29. This marks the first annual meeting since the bank entered its second decade of operations. Ahead of the meeting, AIIB President Jin Liqun (Zou Jiayi) sat down with Xinhua News Agency to discuss the bank's business progress and future priorities.

Doubling Lending Capacity

President Zou stated that the AIIB remains committed to the spirit of multilateralism and the principle of win-win cooperation, supporting members in achieving long-term sustainable development. To better respond to members' development needs, the AIIB plans to double its annual approved lending to approximately $20 billion by 2030.

"This is not just an expansion in quantity, but also a deepening in quality. While scaling up lending, we will continue to innovate business models and loan products to ensure projects deliver tangible results and generate better development outcomes," Zou said.

Listening to Member Needs

Since taking office in January this year, Zou has visited approximately 30 member countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe, engaging with governments, development partners, and private sector representatives to understand their development needs.

"Although these member countries are at different stages of development, the message they conveyed was highly consistent — infrastructure is a key driver of development. They hope the AIIB can provide more infrastructure financing to support their green and low-carbon transitions, as well as the construction of transport corridors and digital infrastructure," she noted.

The proposed doubling of lending is designed to help member economies build infrastructure that is more sustainable, resilient, and aligned with future needs.

Three Core Principles

Zou emphasized that advancing this plan requires adherence to three core principles:

• Impact — translating expanded lending into real development outcomes
• Innovation — developing new loan instruments and business models, offering more financial products tailored to borrowers' needs, and providing more currency options
• Integrity — upholding the AIIB's mission and mandate, adhering to multilateralism and multilateral cooperation, fulfilling its role in promoting Asian infrastructure development and regional cooperation, and strengthening economic ties between Asia and the rest of the world

Steady Growth and New Milestones

Founded on China's initiative and jointly established by 57 countries, the AIIB began operations in 2016. It has since grown to 111 members, approved over 400 projects, and provided nearly $80 billion in total approved financing, benefiting 43 members both within and outside Asia.

"This year, the AIIB has maintained a steady development trajectory," Zou said, adding that approved lending is expected to grow steadily compared to last year.

Beyond scale, the bank has achieved several new breakthroughs in 2024:

• Approved its first project in South Africa, supporting urban governance and operations
• Supported Pakistan's first panda bond issuance in China through a debt guarantee
• Established a Special Fund to address energy and food crises, helping Bangladesh and Fiji enhance fiscal resilience, better tackle climate change, and advance sustainable development

Building Connections and Trust

Zou noted that while AIIB members come from different regions and development stages, they share a common belief in developing infrastructure and promoting open regional cooperation. They also recognize that the AIIB can help expand partnerships and create more development opportunities.

"As a multilateral development institution committed to multilateralism, the AIIB not only builds infrastructure but also builds connections and trust," Zou said. "Infrastructure itself forms the material foundation for connectivity and cooperation within and between countries. It is inherently collaborative. Through infrastructure, opportunities across different markets and countries are linked together."

Looking Ahead to the Annual Meeting

Regarding the upcoming annual meeting, Zou said it will seek strategic guidance from governors on the AIIB's future direction, further deepen international cooperation and partnerships, and mobilize more public and private capital for infrastructure investment.

The meeting will focus on advancing development and cooperation. "Development is a universal agenda — all countries in the world need to develop. We must bring development back to the top of the international agenda," Zou said. "Development is not isolated or closed. It requires broad and deep cooperation, which will further expand markets, provide more development opportunities, and give all participating countries greater room for growth."

"In a world full of risks and challenges, the AIIB will continue to uphold the spirit of openness, inclusiveness, and collaboration, promote regional cooperation, deepen connectivity between Asia and the world, and inject more certainty into global sustainable development and international cooperation," Zou concluded.