BEIJING - China on Wednesday welcomed the application of Portugal to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) as a founding member.

A statement from the Ministry of Finance said Portugal officially sent its written application to China on Tuesday, the deadline for countries to apply to become AIIB founding members.

Should all existing members approve, Portugal will become a founding member on April 15, said the statement.

In a separate statement, the ministry said Iceland also officially sent its written application to China to become an AIIB founding member on Tuesday. Iceland will likewise become a founding member on April 15, subject to the same conditions.

China, as chair of the AIIB founding members' chief negotiation representatives' conference, is currently soliciting opinions from the existing founding members through multilateral procedures, according to the ministry.