The Asian Development Bank could be forced to halve its lending for projects in Asia from 2010 as its shareholders engage in a contentious debate over a proposal to double the $56bn in capital it has available.

Haruhiko Kuroda, the ADB’s Japanese president, has used the bank’s annual meeting in Madrid, which ended on Tuesday, to advance a plan to expand its capital base dramatically. He and his supporters argue that the ADB needs the additional capital to help members who need more investment in infrastructure and to help them cope with events such as the food price crisis.