Want... Taiwan is unable to become one of the prospective founding members of the China-proposed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a Chinese official said Monday without giving any reasons.
Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, quoted the AIIB's Multilateral Interim Secretariat as confirming a press report that also said Taiwan could still become a member of the bank in the future.
The Taiwan Affairs Office reiterated China's position that Taiwan would be welcomed to join the multilateral development institution "under an appropriate name."
China believes that a way can be found for Taiwan to participate in the AIIB through practical consultations, the office added.
China views Taiwan as a renegade province and has blocked the island's attempts to take part in international organizations under the name of either Taiwan or its official name, the Republic of China.
In recent years, Taiwan has used Chinese Taipei to participate in international activities such as the Olympic Games and the World Health Assembly.
Taiwan expressed its intention to take part in the AIIB in late March, just before the deadline for would-be members' application to become a prospective founding member.
By applying to become an AIIB member, Taiwan wants to avoid losing out on regional economic activities. The country also seeks to join the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade blocs.
Initiated by China, the AIIB is regarded by some as a potential rival to the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), all of which are institutions dominated by developed countries such as the US.