Global Development Policy Center – Database Methodology Guidebook

The Boston University Global Development Policy (GDP) Center currently maintains five interactive databases:

• The China-Latin America Finance Database is an interactive data project exhibiting loans from China’s policy banks to Latin American and Caribbean governments and state-owned enterprises.
• The China’s Global Energy Finance Database is an interactive data project that exhibits financing for global energy projects by China’s policy banks.
• The China’s Overseas Development Finance Database is a geolocated record of Chinese overseas development finance from China’s policy banks.
• The Chinese Loans to Africa Database covers Chinese lending to African governments and their state-owned enterprises from 2000 onwards. The database was created by China Africa Research Initiative (CARI) at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and transferred to the GDP Center in 2021.
  • For the years 2000-2019, please refer to the 2019 Data Release Briefing Paper (March 2021).
• The China’s Global Power Database records all power generation projects around the world involving Chinese foreign direct investment and policy bank finance.

The GDP Center’s goal for these databases is to provide transparent information to aid research, education, policymaking, and accountability with regards to China’s overseas development finance and projects around the world. The database methodology guidebook explains how GDP Center experts and partners created these databases and how they are updated and maintained. These databases are open knowledge products and we welcome additions and corrections.