Germany, France and Italy followed the U.K.’s lead in applying to join a China-led international development bank, lending the weight of Europe’s largest economies to the project despite U.S. opposition.

Europe’s four top powers have now broken ranks with Washington in moving to become founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. The decision is expected to spur other U.S. allies to back the potential challenger to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, where Washington has significant influence.

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