Abstract
The creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a seminal event in China’s recent history. The AIIB is the first multinational financial institution instigated by China. The broad opportunity for soft power influence for China is clear. Less clear are the specifics on how or what this soft power opportunity will mean and how it will be delivered. This article examines the core phrase/narrative developed by China to describe the AIIB, which is that this institution will be ‘lean, clean and green’. This narrative is explored using the framework developed by Miskimmon, O’Loughlin and Roselle. This article presumes that China’s expression that the AIIB is a ‘lean, clean and green’ institution is not simply a superficial phrase. Therefore the article holds China accountable for the policy contours and promises it has made in relation to the AIIB. However, this article’s aim is primarily to explore the hopeful and real opportunities for China to realise soft power and international leadership in this phrasing of ‘lean, clean and green’. This can be realised if this narrative, created by China, is used authentically to support the AIIB’s institutional operations and future projects. Conversely, if this phrase is superficially applied, there will be a risk of the loss of soft power through the international communities’ perception of inauthenticity.