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
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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 and Tsitsi Musasike Lithium has emerged as an indispensable resource powering the energy transition, given its central role in electric vehicle batteries and... [ More ]
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Leveraging Transition Mineral Extraction for Zimbabwe’s Socioeconomic Development: The Case of Lithium
March 23, 2026The mining sector contributed US$5.6 billion to Zimbabwe's GDP in 2022 and is expected to contribute $20 billion in 2030. Despite this significant contribution, Zimbabwe... [ More ]
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From Resource Curse to Renewable Futures? Chinese Investment and a Just Transition in Latin America
March 16, 2026Latin America’s wealth of transition minerals positions it as a key supplier of the raw materials necessary for renewable energy generation. However, despite GDP growth... [ More ]
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Can China Support a Just Energy Transition in Latin America? Policy Insights from a Working Paper Series
March 16, 2026By Julie Radomski As petroleum prices reach historic highs while solar and wind prices reach historic lows, the future of the global energy transition appears resilient. [ More ]
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Power Projects Face Climate “Double Whammy”
March 06, 2026By Xia Li A new power plant can look like a straightforward win for a fast-growing economy. It means more electricity for homes, hospitals, factories and... [ More ]
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Beyond Debt Reprofiling: China’s Role in Global South Development
March 05, 2026By Marina Zucker-Marques, Rosa He and Tianyi Wu Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many developing countries have faced a financial deadlock: they must scale... [ More ]
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Geopolitics, Domestic Political Economy and the Rise of Localization Policies in the Global EV Industry
February 13, 2026Governments around the world are reviving industrial policy to nurture nascent industries through multiple instruments, including tariffs, subsidies and localization policies. This shift is occurring... [ More ]