Canada Suspends Relations with China's Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) over alleged dominance by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Following the CCP infiltration allegations, all operations are suspended at multilateral lender as Western Nation reacts with the resignation of a senior Canadian official exposing alleged CCP influence as "operating like internal secret police”

Bob Pickard, the global communications director of the bank, tendered his resignation via Twitter, citing the institution's "toxic culture" as the reason for his departure.

In his tweet, Pickard stated, "As a patriotic Canadian, this was my only course. 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."

Concerned for his safety, Pickard flew to Tokyo on the same day after expressing his apprehensions.

"These people are like an invisible government inside the bank, and this is what I can't be part of. I don't want to be a useful idiot," Pickard revealed to the Financial Times (FT) while in Tokyo.

In a press statement, Canadian Finance Minister and Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland informed the media that the Canadian government will "immediately halt all government-led activity" at the bank.

Furthermore, she emphasized that she has directed the Finance Department to "lead an immediate review of the allegations raised and of Canada's involvement in the AIIB."

In its response, AIIB also referred to as "China's World Bank," stated in a press release that it had consistently supported and empowered Bob Pickard throughout his tenure to fulfill his responsibilities.

The statement further expressed disappointment and dismissed his characterization of the bank as "baseless and disappointing."

"We take pride in our multilateral mission and have a diverse international team consisting of individuals from 65 different nationalities, serving our 106 members worldwide, many of whom have been part of the institution since its establishment in 2016," the statement emphasized.

The Chinese embassy in Canada responded to Pickard's allegations by issuing a statement that categorically dismissed them as "outright lies with an attempt to seek sensationalization."

The spokesperson of the embassy stated, "China is an important member of AIIB and has always adhered to multilateral rules and procedures, actively participating in decision-making through established multilateral governance mechanisms such as the Board of Governors and the Board of Directors."

Image source: The Guardian