Switzerland and Luxembourg are planning to join the Beijing-backed development bank AIIB, China''s finance ministry said, the latest European nations to sign up to the multilateral lender which has drawn scepticism from the United States.
Britain, France, Germany and Italy have already announced their intentions to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank - which is viewed by some as a competitor to the World Bank and the Manila-based Asian Development Bank. Switzerland will formally become a founding member of the bank later this month if approved by other members, China''s finance ministry said in a statement late Friday.
A separate ministry statement said Luxembourg had also applied.
China''s finance chief Lou Jiwei on Friday said the bank had 27 "prospective" founding members, the official Xinhua news agency reported, adding the application deadline is March 31.
The bank, which will support infrastructure projects in Asia, is expected to be set up before the end of this year, Xinhua said.
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