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The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank's environmental and social policies: a critical discourse analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2020

Ciprian N. Radavoi Open the ORCID record for Ciprian N. Radavoi [Opens in a new window]  and
Yongmin Bian Open the ORCID record for Yongmin Bian [Opens in a new window]
Ciprian N. Radavoi*
Affiliation:
School of Law, University of New England, Armidale, Australia
Yongmin Bian
Affiliation:
School of Law, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, China
*
CONTACT Ciprian N. Radavoi [email protected]
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Abstract

Like all other multilateral development banks, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which approved its first loan in November 2016, has adopted Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies. Treating the text as Chinese discourse and using Critical Discourse Analysis as methodological tool, this article unveils socio-political interests beyond its contents and semiotics. We identify areas where the AIIB policies are intertextual with the ones that inspired them, namely those of the World Bank and the regional multilateral development banks, but also important departures from their discursive practice, reflecting the legal culture and strategic interests of AIIB's founders. Both appropriation and colonisation of ‘classical’ ESGs by the AIIB ones lead to reflection on social wrongs associated with development, and suggest solutions for turning development safeguards into meaningful instruments.

Keywords

AsiaAIIBChinadevelopment lendingsocial justicecritical discourse analysis
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy , Volume 34 , Issue 1 , February 2018 , pp. 1 - 18
Copyright
Copyright © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

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