France, Germany and Italy have followed the UK in joining the China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. With joining of these countries, the total number of the bank's member states including India has gone up to 30. State-run Xinhua news agency quoted top officials of France, Germany and Italy as confirming their participation in the 50 billion dollar investment bank floated last year by President Xi Jinping. The three European countries followed suit days after the UK became the first Western nation to join the bank disregarding reservations expressed by the US which raised concerns over its transparency. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, an international financial institution that will provide support to infrastructure projects in Asia, is expected to be formally established by the end of this year.