A new update to the Chinese Loans to Africa (CLA) Database, managed by the Boston University Global Development Policy Center, estimates that from 2000-2024, Chinese lenders signed 1,319 loan commitments amounting to $180.87 billion with 49 African governments and seven regional institutions. In 2024, Chinese loans commitments to Africa remained concentrated among a small group […]
By Faiz Nawab The Boston University Global Development Policy Center (GDP Center) is pleased to introduce the 2025-2026 cohort of Global China Research Fellows. These six outstanding scholars from a multitude of universities, including National University of Singapore, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and the University of Oxford, have or will have completed doctoral degrees […]
The multilateral system is falling short in mobilizing the level and composition of capital flows necessary for countries in the Global South to raise living standards and avoid the catastrophic costs of climate change. Rather than channeling a stepwise increase in resources, net capital flows to emerging market and developing countries have turned negative. This […]
By Marina Zucker-Marques, Laurissa Mühlich, and Barbara Fritz In a world beset by lower growth prospects, unprecedented uncertainty in international trade and high debt service pressures, access to timely financial resources is essential for central banks and governments in order to stabilize their economies without compromising spending on domestic priorities. This crisis financing comes from […]
By Rachel Thrasher and Praveena Bandara The consensus around the urgent need for climate policy continues to grow. In a July 2025 address, UN Secretary-General António Guterres lauded this new “moment of opportunity” by launching a technical report that highlights the benefits and inevitability of a global energy transition. The report highlights the rapid progress […]
Advanced economies that have criticized industrial policy in the past, are now increasingly turning to those tools in response to the climate crisis. At the same time, existing trade and investment agreements, negotiated and drafted at a time when countries viewed industrial policies with skepticism, embody a more “hands-off” approach to economic governance. The new […]
by Julie Radomski As countries around the world strive to meet their renewable energy targets, large hydroelectric dams are often framed as clean and reliable alternatives to fossil fuels. In the 21st century, Chinese development finance institutions (DFIs) have emerged as global leaders in financing hydropower, although many of these projects have faced severe environmental […]
Hydroelectric megaprojects represent an important target for Chinese development finance in the 21st century and will likely remain so given their categorization as renewable energy contributing to a green energy transition. However, Chinese-financed megadams around the world have faced numerous social, environmental and political challenges. These challenges not only inhibit the opportunity for the projects […]
Multilateral development banks (MDBs) play a key role providing developing countries with affordable, long-term finance. In 2024, to help meet development challenges, the Group of 20 (G20) agreed on a roadmap to make the MDBs bigger, better and more effective and recommended MDBs conduct resource needs reviews to assess adequacy of resources to meet shareholder […]
Developing countries are facing dramatic debt and development crises where, to meet obligations to their external creditors, debt-distressed countries are sacrificing investments in education, healthcare, infrastructure and climate resilience. A reason for the debt situation is that the international community failed to address the flaws in the global financial architecture and to enable and embolden […]