Zou Jiayi Elected as AIIB’s First Female President to Lead Global Expansion.
Appointment
On June 24, 2025, China’s former Vice Minister of Finance, Zou Jiayi, was elected by the Board of Governors as the next President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). She will assume office on January 16, 2026, becoming both the second president and the bank’s first woman leader, for a five-year term.
- Zou brings over 30 years of international finance experience, having held senior roles such as Vice Minister of Finance and leadership positions within the World Bank Group, Asian Development Bank, New Development Bank, and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Her election was confirmed at AIIB’s 10th Annual Meeting by the Bank’s Board Chair.
Main Point :- (i) During founding President Jin Liqun’s decade-long tenure, AIIB grew from 57 to 110 member countries, invested more than USD 60 billion in 322 infrastructure projects across 38 economies, earned AAA ratings, and secured UN Observer status in 2018.
(ii) As the first female head of the Beijing-based multilateral bank, Zou carries the informal title of the “tiger-fighting lady general”, referencing her robust record at China’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Her leadership comes amid efforts to globalize AIIB’s governance while maintaining its core focus on infrastructure and climate financing.
(iii) Zou’s presidency is expected to expand AIIB’s global footprint, including new regional offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, and London, and enhanced partnerships with traditional development lenders like the World Bank and Japan. She is poised to balance geopolitical alignments and reinforce AIIB’s role amid rising global financing multipolarity.
About Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
Establishment : 2016
Headquarters : Beijing, China
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