Report: China is Top Source of Development Finance to Southeast Asia, but Competitors Rapidly Catching Up

Filtered data visualization of Chinese aid and development finance spent in Southeast Asia during the period of 2015-2021. Source: Lowy Institute.

China remained Southeast Asia’s largest source of aid and development finance even as competitors from G7 countries step up their engagement in this geopolitically strategic region, according to the findings from a new data project done by the Australian think tank Lowy Institute.

But when measured against multilateral development banks like the Asian Development Bank, China lost its top position as the region’s largest source of financing.

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by Eric Olander

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