Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) President Zou Jiayi visited Pakistan, the Philippines and Viet Nam last month as part of her listening tour, reinforcing the Bank’s commitment to deepen partnerships, align with member priorities and deliver greater development impact through cutting-edge infrastructure solutions.
A clear message emerged from President Zou’s discussions with national leaders, policymakers, financial institutions and private-sector partners. All are seeking long-term partnerships that bring together financing, knowledge and innovation to help address infrastructure needs and advance national development goals in a challenging global environment. They particularly emphasized the need to improve connectivity and expand energy and digital infrastructure, and called for the need to attract more private-sector investment in these areas.
President Zou said AIIB is positioned to support these evolving needs. She reiterated AIIB’s commitment to move beyond one-off projects toward multi-year engagements that support broader national development objectives through coordinated programs. This approach, combined with innovative financing solutions, should help attract more investments and speed up the delivery of infrastructure projects.
In Pakistan, discussions reflected a shared ambition to establish a more strategic and predictable partnership that would involve a multi-year pipeline of priority investments, especially in railway corridors, logistics and digital infrastructure, to strengthen domestic connectivity, expand regional trade and support long-term economic growth. Other priority areas identified by national authorities include upgrading the energy sector, developing sources for renewable energy and building transmission systems, alongside strengthening water management and agriculture.
The visit also highlighted Pakistan’s interest in expanding private-sector participation in infrastructure development through different approaches, such as public-private partnership models and capital-market solutions, to complement traditional public investment and improve economic resilience. Pakistan’s issuance of its inaugural renminbi-denominated Panda Bond, supported by a partial debt guarantee from AIIB, is a good example. The transaction demonstrated how members, with AIIB’s support, can diversify access to international capital markets and mobilize private capital for their sustainable infrastructure development. Proceeds from the bond will support the development of sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure across the water, energy and health sectors in Pakistan.
In the Philippines, the visit reaffirmed a strong commitment between AIIB and the government to take a more programmatic approach to engagement in national priority areas, such as improving energy systems to enhance efficiency and expanding access to reliable and affordable energy, strengthening water security and flood management, and enhancing climate resilience. It also highlighted the importance of improving digital infrastructure as a key driver of productivity, economic growth and more efficient public services.
Marking an important step in expanding AIIB’s private-sector operations and collaboration with established infrastructure operators, AIIB signed its first non-sovereign-backed financing in the Philippines – a USD300 million investment with global port operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) to support the expansion and upgrade of three container terminals across the country.
In Viet Nam, President Zou reaffirmed AIIB’s readiness to support the country’s development priorities as it embarks on a new phase of infrastructure-led growth under its newly adopted five-year socio-economic development plan for 2026-2030. The two sides expressed interest in deeper collaboration on infrastructure financing, risk-sharing arrangements and innovative financing structures that can help bridge investment gaps. Discussions also explored ways to strengthen cooperation with the private sector and support broader capital mobilization efforts.
Overall, the visits showed how AIIB can support its members by building long-term strategic partnerships, and advance priority infrastructure investments through both sovereign and non-sovereign instruments. By combining public- and private-sector solutions, innovative financing tools and multi-year programs, AIIB can leverage its financing and technical expertise and help members mobilize more investments, close infrastructure gaps and deliver sustainable high-impact projects that support long-term growth.
