亚投行延长成员国加入期限
中国牵头的亚洲基础设施投资银行(Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank，简称亚投行)给予5个成员国——包括2个大型成员国——额外的12个月时间来完成正式加入流程，此前它们错过了2016年12月31日的最后期限。
Brazil and South Africa were among the highest-profile countries to sign up to the multilateral lender, which was established by Beijing to make its mark in international finance and was opposed in its infancy by the US. Of the bank’s 57 inaugural members, Brazil was the only South American country while South Africa was one of only two in Africa.
巴西和南非当初跻身于最高调地签署加入这个多边贷款机构的国家之列。中国成立亚投行是为了在国际金融领域留下自己的印记，该行在创立初期遭到美国的反对。在该行的57个创始成员国中，巴西是唯一的南美国家，而南非是仅有的两个非洲国家之一。
Both are also members of the so-called Brics club alongside Russia, India and China, which recently joined forces to form the Shanghai-based New Development Bank.
这两国也与俄罗斯、印度和中国并称金砖国家，这几个国家共同成立了总部位于上海的新开发银行(New Development Bank)。
“AIIB matters are currently being processed,” a South African finance official told the Financial Times. “Our immediate focus has been on the New Development Bank.”
“亚投行事务目前正在处理，”一名南非金融官员告诉英国《金融时报》，“我们眼下的重点是新开发银行。”
Brazilian officials declined to comment on why they missed the deadline, which was stipulated in the AIIB’s articles of association.
巴西官员拒绝就为何错过亚投行章程中规定的最后期限置评。
Members can receive an extension if approved by a majority of the bank’s governors.
如果得到亚投行多数理事的批准，成员国可以获得延期。
Under former president Dilma Rousseff, Brazil fell behind on payments to dozens of international organisations, blaming a lack of funds. Ms Rousseff’s impeachment last August may have led to further delays.
在前总统迪尔玛•罗塞夫(Dilma Rousseff)治下，巴西以缺乏资金为由，拖欠其应向几十个国际机构支付的款项。罗塞夫去年8月遭到弹劾，可能导致了进一步的拖延。
“We extended the deadline because some members needed more time based on the different domestic processes they had to ratify,” an AIIB spokesperson said, adding that “everything is on track” for them to join by the end of this year.
“我们延长了截至日期，因为一些成员国需要更多时间，取决于它们国内的批准流程，”一名亚投行发言人说，并补充称，“一切都在正轨上”，这些国家可以在今年底前加入亚投行。
The three other inaugural AIIB members to have missed the deadline were Malaysia, Kuwait and Spain. Malaysian and Spanish officials said they would be formally admitted by the end of 2017. Kuwaiti officials could not be reached for comment.
另外3个错过最后期限的亚投行创始成员国是马来西亚、科威特和西班牙。马来西亚和西班牙官员表示它们将在2017年底前正式加入。记者无法联系到科威特官员对此置评。
Last week the AIIB approved 13 new applicants including two additional countries from South America and two from Africa.
上周亚投行批准了13个新申请加入的国家，包括另外2个南美国家和另外2个非洲国家。
Additional reporting by David Pilling, Joe Leahy, Tobias Buck and Jeevan Vasagar
戴维•皮林、李若瑟、托拜厄斯•巴克和吉万•瓦萨加尔补充报道
