Follow CGSP on Social Media

Listen to the CGSP Podcast

Everybody Seems to Agree That Chinese Overseas Lending is Decreasing… But By How Much?

by Eric Olander

Analysts Agatha Kratz and Matthew Mingey from the China-focused research firm Rhodium Group challenged the findings of a controversial dataset produced by Boston University’s Global Policy Development Center. While Kratz and Mingey agree that lending by China’s two major policy banks, the China Development Bank and the China Exim Bank, has decreased in recent years, they don’t believe it’s anywhere near as much as what BU contends.

According to the BU data, lending by these two policy banks plummeted from $75 billion in 2016 to just $4 billion in 2019.

Lead the Conversation on China

Subscribe Today to Get Full Access to The China-Global South Project

Check Out Everything You'll Get With Your Subscription

The China-Global South Daily Brief delivered to your inbox at 6AM Washington time

Full access to exclusive news and analysis from editors based in the Global South

Transcripts of CGSP’s twice-weekly podcasts

Students and teachers with a valid .edu email address are eligible for a 50% discount off monthly or yearly subscriptions. Email us to receive a discount code.

You Might Like

Reaction to New Data That Reveals “Chinese Overseas Lending Collapse”

Findings from Boston University’s new database on Chinese development finance patterns that revealed a “collapse” of overseas lending sparked a lot of conversation online yesterday from leading development economists in the U.S. and ...

China Takes a Lot More Risks in Loans to African Countries Than Other International Creditors

New research finds that China has a much higher risk tolerance in its overseas lending practices, particularly to African countries, compared to other major creditors from the U.S., Europe, and Japan. “There is ...

Benin’s Finance Minister Meets With China Exim Bank President

Beninese Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni is in Beijing this week, where he met with China Exim Bank President Ren Shengjun. Neither side released details of the meeting, but it does highlight how China ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.