China-backed AIIB to lend $10-15 bln a year for first five years: president-designate

By Michael Martina

BEIJING (Reuters) - The president-elect of China's new international development bank said he expects the institution to lend $10 billion-$15 billion a year for the first five or six years, and sought to allay concerns that the lender will be a tool of Beijing.

Jin Liqun, who takes up the AIIB presidency after its expected inauguration toward the end of December, said on Tuesday that the bank will start operations in the second quarter of 2016.

He said the U.S. dollar would be the operating currency of the bank but the institution would consider financing requests in other currencies, including the yuan.

A successful Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) that sets itself apart from the World Bank would be a diplomatic triumph for China, which opposes a global financial order it says is dominated by the United States and under-represented by developing nations.

Beijing had been frustrated by delayed reforms at the International Monetary Fund, though on Monday it admitted China's yuan into its benchmark currency basket, a victory for China's campaign for recognition as a global economic power

Jin said talks are ongoing with other institutions, including the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, on co-financing, which would help AIIB "get off the ground very soon".

"In regular years, given $100 billion in registered capital, I think every year I expect to do probably $10-$15 billion, for the first five or six years," Jin told a European business forum.

Jin did not specify priority projects or which countries would be the beneficiaries of initial loans, but said around 30 countries are waiting in line for membership, which would increase the bank's capital.

The AIIB, first proposed by President Xi Jinping less than two years ago, has become one of China's biggest foreign policy successes. Despite the opposition of Washington, almost all major U.S. allies - Australia, Britain, German, Italy, the Philippines and South Korea - have joined.

The United States, which initially cautioned nations against joining the AIIB, had expressed concern over how much influence China will wield in the new institution.

Jin said that China holds the de facto veto power in the bank based on a function of GDP, but that as additional countries joined the lender, its relative voting power would drop.

He rejected suggestions the bank would be used to increase the influence of Beijing and Chinese state-run companies, saying other countries would not rush to join if that was the case.

"No, they won't join this bank if they are convinced that it is going to be the instrument of the Chinese government."

(Writing by Sui-Lee Wee; Editing by Paul Tait & Shri Navaratnam)