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Robert Wihtol

Robert Wihtol is Adjunct Faculty at the Asian Institute of Management and former Asian Development Bank Country Director for China and Director General for East Asia. He currently chairs the board of directors of Finland’s private sector development fund, Finnfund.

Articles by Robert Wihtol (9)

Robert Wihtol 16 Jun 2023

Does China wield excessive influence in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank?

A dramatic resignation this week has put a spotlight on the functions of Beijing’s brainchild.
Robert Wihtol 5 Aug 2022

Development finance in Asia: a memoir

A former president of the Asian Development Bank reminisces about dealing with the rise of China.
Robert Wihtol 6 Nov 2020

China’s problematic lending comes home to roost

Pressure is mounting for China to join international debt-management initiatives.
Robert Wihtol 31 Jul 2020

Book review: Superpower showdown

The fraught relationship between the United States and China is set to deteriorate further.
Robert Wihtol 6 Jul 2020

Book review: The making of Putin’s Russia

How did an uncharismatic former mid-level KGB spy rise to the pinnacle of Russian politics?
Robert Wihtol 28 Nov 2019

The new development banks: Paradigm shift or poor imitation?

The multilateral development banks set up by China and the BRICS countries have evolved quickly from concept to reality.
Robert Wihtol 9 Feb 2018

Review: Asia on a knife-edge

A newly released book by John West takes a guarded view of the world’s most promising region.
Robert Wihtol 14 Jun 2017

Beware the infrastructure debt trap

Geopolitical and economic rivalries can see projects of questionable value get pushed through without proper assessment of financial and economic viability.
Robert Wihtol 27 May 2015

AIIB: US is not the only loser, and China is not such a big winner