Decisions by the United States and Japan not to join the AIIB could have negative geopolitical ramifications for both countries.
"The lack of participation by the U.S. combined with other things has signaled to Asian countries ... that the U.S. is withdrawing from Asia," Desai said.
Desai explained that if the two countries are worried about China's agenda, that should encourage them to participate, not the opposite. He used a quote from Francis Ford Coppola's "Godfather II":