China’s foreign aid programs are still relatively new and poorly understood. Until the launch of China’s new aid agency in 2018, aid initiatives, most of which went to Africa, were handled by the secretive Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM).

Now, two years later, China’s International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), is still struggling to stand on its own, squeezed awkwardly between MOFCOM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Nonetheless, CIDCA is becoming increasingly active so it’s important that outside stakeholders begin to develop a better understanding of how this agency operates and how it’s perceived in recipient countries.