Big nations snub Beijing bank launch after US lobbying

``China will officially launch a new $50 billion Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank on Friday as it steps up its challenge to global financial institutions like the World Bank that it feels are dominated by America and its allies. But only 20 mostly small economies, many of them effectively client states of China, will become founding members of the bank at Friday's ceremony in Beijing after Washington lobbied furiously to stop other countries from signing up.''