Jane Perlez, Rush to Join China's New Asian Bank Surprises All, Even the Chinese. New York Times, Apr 3, 2015.
The first three paragraphs:
"The sudden rush to join China’s new Asian development bank by this week’s deadline, including last-minute applications by countries hardly considered Beijing’s best friends, astonished even the Chinese.
"Few in Beijing had believed that Taiwan, still considered a breakaway territory by China, would want in. Same for Norway, whose relations with the Chinese have been chilly since its decision five years ago to award the Nobel Peace Prize to a dissident Chinese writer.
"But after the deadline, China announced that it had attracted 46 founding members for its new Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Among the surprises: While China had expected mainly to be joined by its neighbors, the final tally of countries clamoring to participate included 14 advanced economies of the Group of 20, many of them — like Brazil, France, Germany and Russia — from outside Asia.