GLOBAL CHINA INITIATIVE
The Global China Initiative (GCI) advances policy-oriented research on China’s overseas economic activity and engagement with international institutions in order to enable financial stability, human well-being and environmental sustainability.
GLOBAL CHINA RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT
Between 2000-2024, 42 Chinese lenders signed 1,319 loan commitments amounting to $180.87 billion with 49 African governments and seven regional institutions.
In 2025, the Chinese Loans to Africa (CLA) Database, managed by the Boston University Global Development Policy Center, recorded just under $2.1 billion of Chinese loans commitments to Africa which remained concentrated among a small group of borrowers.
A new policy brief analyzes the state of Chinese lending to Africa reflected in this database update. The current level reflects China’s ongoing strategic recalibration of its economic engagement with African countries.
Explore the Data Read the Policy Brief 阅读政策简报摘要Explore the research
Latest News & Publications
Receive Updates from GCI through the GDP Center Newsletter 订阅“中国与全球发展项目”定期中文邮件更新-
GDP Center Signs Partnership Agreement with Shanghai University of International Business and Economics
May 08, 2026To reinforce commitments to international cooperation and policy research for global change, the Global Development Policy (GDP) Center has officially signed a new international academic... [ More ]
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Why Competitive Politics Can Pull Development Finance Away from Need
May 04, 2026By Keyi Tang As development finance tightens, the most important question may not be who is lending, but how domestic politics shapes where the money goes. When... [ More ]
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Commodity-Price-Linked Bonds: Enhancing Debt Resilience in Commodity-Dependent Economies
April 30, 2026By early 2025, debt servicing pressures had intensified. Interest payments exceed 10 percent of government revenues in 56 developing countries—double the level a decade earlier—and... [ More ]
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Disentangling Decision-Making: Chinese Infrastructure Finance in Africa
April 29, 2026By Tianyi Wu In 2016, China committed $28.8 billion in infrastructure loans to African countries––a record peak that has been followed by a rapid drop as... [ More ]
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Resurgence to Retirement: Global Insights on Transitioning Away from Coal
April 28, 2026By Kaihui Song The year 2025 recorded the largest net addition to global coal capacity in over a decade, driven largely by China amid the country’s... [ More ]
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Productive Finance for the Belt and Road Initiative: Reexamining China’s Debt Sustainability Framework
April 13, 2026China has committed over US$1 trillion in overseas financing, much of it directed toward productive public assets that have helped close infrastructure gaps and stimulate... [ More ]
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Patient Capital, Long-Term Orientation and Global Imbalances: A Rebuttal
March 27, 2026By Yan Wang The global economy in early 2026 is confronted with an escalating war in the Middle East causing humanitarian disasters and energy crises. On... [ More ]
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Greening the Steel and Cement Used in China’s Global Infrastructure Projects
March 24, 2026China’s development finance institutions (DFIs), primarily the China Development Bank (CDB) and the Export–Import Bank of China (CHEXIM), have become central players in global infrastructure... [ More ]
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Weighing In: How Much Steel and Cement Go Into China’s Global Infrastructure Projects?
March 24, 2026By Cecilia Springer, Hanjie Wang and Ali Hasanbeigi When a new railway line connects cities in East Africa or a power plant starts operating in South... [ More ]
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Zimbabwe’s Lithium Pivot: Promises and Pitfalls of Mining
March 23, 2026By Julie Radomski, Tsitsi Musasike, Tinotenda Chidhawu, Hudson Mtegha and Earnest Rungano Chinyanga Lithium has emerged as an indispensable resource powering the energy transition, given its... [ More ]