AIIB at 10: Is China Rewriting the Rules of Global Finance?

In this episode of Mapping Global China, we speak with Natalie Lichtenstein, former Chief Counsel and inaugural General Counsel of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), about the creation, governance, and geopolitical implications of one of the most important new multilateral development banks of the past decade. Drawing on decades at the World Bank and direct involvement in drafting the AIIB charter, Lichtenstein offers a rare insider perspective on how global financial institutions are built and how China is reshaping its role within them. This conversation explores:

• Why the AIIB was created and how it differs from other development banks
• Whether the AIIB is tied to the Belt and Road Initiative
• Governance, voting power, and China’s influence
• What the bank’s first decade reveals about global financial governance
• The future of multilateral development institutions in a shifting geopolitical landscape

As the AIIB approaches its 10th anniversary and leadership transition, this discussion provides context for understanding China’s evolving role in global development finance.