BEIJING, March 24-- Australia appears poised to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank after months of signalling its reluctance to become a member. Prime Minister Tony Abbott said last week that joining the AIIB was something the country would support -- with assurances of transparency and good governance.

For months it appeared the Abbott government was prepared to stand beside one of its strongest allies -- the United States -- when it came to joining China’s Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

"the question was more to do with whether the world bank was already meeting these requirements and whether australia should fall in line with that which is very much the united state’s preference in this case," said Malcolm Jorgensen, associate professor of University of Sydney.

But it now appears Australia's stance has changed - as opposition erodes and the number of countries signing up - including many in Europe - continues to increase.

"Australia has really looked at this situation and realised that its interests doesn’t simply lie with following the united state’s interests with this," Jorgensen said.

The federal treasurer said last week that there was a lot of merit to the bank - he also renewed calls for transparency. Australia is reportedly prepared to becoming a founding member - and invest more than $2 billion(USD).

"And it may receive a return in the future because of the fact that our economy being so reliant on the economy of Asia, and so if Asia’s economies is growing, then it is inevitably in Australia’s interests," Jorgensen said.

The issue here for Australia isn’t just a matter of economics, of dollars and cents. It’s also very much a political one, especially for a struggling government that has been forced to rethink a very unpopular budget.

Despite the hard sell to the public, and the risk of stepping out of line with the US, experts believe the Abbott government is prepared to move forward, seeing the chance to join the AIIB as an economic opportunity Australia cannot afford to miss.