DHAKA: A total of 57 countries have been approved as founding members of a new Chinese-backed infrastructure bank, Beijing said Wednesday, including Norway, despite relations being in a diplomatic deep freeze since a Chinese dissident won a Nobel prize.

No nations that formally sought to become founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank are known to have been refused, although Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing regards as part of its own territory, had its application rejected.

The latest seven countries approved as founding members by Wednesday’s deadline were named by China’s finance ministry as Sweden, Israel, South Africa, Azerbaijan, Iceland, Portugal and Poland.

They bring the total number of founding members to 57, including four of the United Nations Security Council’s permanent five, 14 of the 28 European Union countries, and 21 members of the 34-strong Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

BDST: 2021 HRS, APR 15, 2015
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