The AIIB — what is it?
亚洲基础设施投资银行是什么？
The Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank is one of four institutions created or proposed by Beijing in what some see as an attempt to create a Sino-centric financial system to rival western dominated institutions set up after the second world war. The other institutions are the New Development Bank (better known as the Brics bank) and a contingent reserve arrangement, seen as alternatives to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund; and a proposed Development Bank of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation, a six-country Eurasian political, economic and military grouping dominated by China and Russia.
亚洲基础设施投资银行(Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank，简称亚投行)是由中国创建或提议的四家新机构之一。外界认为，中国希望创建一个以自我为中心的国际金融体系，与二战后创建的由西方主导的金融体系抗衡。其他三家机构包括新开发银行(New Development Bank，其更为人所知的名字是“金砖银行”)，一个应急储备安排，它们被视为世界银行(World Bank)和国际货币基金组织(IMF)的替代品，以及拟议中的上合组织开发银行(Development Bank of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation)。上合组织包括六个国家，是一个欧亚政治、经济和军事机构，由中国和俄罗斯主导。
What is it for?
创建亚投行的目的是什么？
The AIIB offers an alternative to the Asean Development Bank, which focuses on poverty relief and lacks the firepower to undertake the large-scale infrastructure projects that are the remit of the AIIB.
亚投行提供了一种取代东盟开发银行(Asean Development Bank)的选择。后者专注于扶贫，缺乏承担大规模基础设施项目的财力，而亚投行则瞄准了这类大规模基建项目。
What’s wrong with that?
亚投行的潜在问题？
In principle, nothing. But the ADB and the AIIB are seen as rival rather than complementary organisations. The ADB was established in 1966 and now has 67 members including 48 from Asia and the Pacific. But it is seen by many in the region as overly dominated by Japan and the US, which are by far its biggest shareholders with 15.7 per cent and 15.6 per cent respectively (compared with China’s 5.5 per cent). The AIIB was founded last year with 21 members. Notably absent were the US, Japan, Australia and South Korea. The US, it is said, lobbied countries not to join, while China worked hard to get them in.
从理论上说，没有问题。但亚洲开发银行(ADB)和亚投行被视为竞争对手，而不是互为补充。亚开行创建于1966年，拥有67个成员国，其中有48个国家来自亚洲和太平洋地区。但该地区很多人认为它太多受到日本和美国的主导，日美是目前该银行最大股东，分别持股15.7%和15.6%（中国持股5.5%）。亚投行于去年创建，拥有21个成员国，引人注目的是，美国、日本、澳大利亚和韩国没有加入。据说，美国曾游说很多国家不要加入亚投行，而中国花了很多力气延揽这些国家。
Does that matter?
这些问题重要吗？
Both sides clearly think it does. Proponents of the AIIB criticise the ADB for being overly bureaucratic. The AIIB’s critics say the new lender will play fast and loose with conditionality and other restrictions on the behaviour of borrowers, allowing corruption to flourish. More significant, however, are strategic considerations. The US and China are increasingly engaged in a struggle for regional influence, played out through institutions such as these.
双方显然都认为很重要。亚投行的支持者们批评亚开行过于官僚。亚投行的批评者们称，这家新银行对于贷款条件和借款者行为的规范限制宽松不一，将导致腐败滋生。然而更为重要的是战略考量。美国和中国正越来越多地加入对区域影响力的争斗，而它们正是通过这些机构施加影响的。