Author: BU Global Development Policy Ctr.
The Boston University Global Development Policy Center is a policy-oriented research center working to advance financial stability, human well-being and environmental sustainability across the globe.
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Eyes Turn to China as the West Steps Back From Development
By Tim Hirschel-Burns With the notable exception of the United States, all other 192 members of the United Nations agreed on an agenda for financing the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs). In important respects, the agreement on the
A billboard depicting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is displayed in the centre of Tehran's Valiasr Square on July 13, 2025. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)
By Razan Shawamreh The recent Iran-Israel war has underscored a sobering reality for Tehran: When push comes to shove, China is far more likely to adapt to Iran’s decline or collapse than bear the costs of coming to its aid.
A Peer-to-Peer Pivot in China’s Overseas Development Finance
By Rebecca Ray In 2024, China extended $6.1 billion in 20 commitments in public and publicly guaranteed (PPG) loans, according to a new update to the China’s Overseas Development Finance (CODF) Database managed by the Boston University Global Development Policy ...
China’s Global Power Plant Investment is Shifting—But Will the Scale Follow?
By Diego Morro In a recent virtual meeting with world leaders on Climate and the Just Transition, Chinese leader Xi Jinping stated that China will not slow its climate efforts or reduce support for international cooperation. This builds on his ...
No More Time to Waste: The Imperative to Strengthen Global South Voice and Representation at the IMF
By Tim Hirschel-Burns and Marina Zucker-Marques The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) governance is increasingly out of step with today’s world. While emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs), including China, account for 60 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP), they ...
No More Time to Waste: The Imperative to Strengthen Global South Voice and Representation at the IMF
By Tim Hirschel-Burns and Marina Zucker-Marques The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) governance is increasingly out of step with today’s world. While emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs), including China, account for 60 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP), they ...
Ecuador Set to Receive Chinese-Built Dam Pending Arbitration Over Defects
By Julie Radomski The hydroelectric megaproject Coca Codo Sinclair is among Latin America's most controversial Chinese-financed and constructed infrastructure projects. Although officially inaugurated in 2016, the dam has not yet been formally handed over to the Ecuadorian government — but this ...
Rethinking China’s Role in Africa’s Energy Future
By Jiaqi Lu Expanding electricity access is one of the most pressing challenges for Africa’s development, with 600 million people—roughly 43% of the continent’s population—still lacking access to reliable electricity. The 2025 Africa ...
China’s “Small and Beautiful” Path in Overseas Energy Finance Signals a Greener Shift, but Will It Grow?
By Jiaqi Lu The era of carbon-intensive mega-investments by China in global energy infrastructure may be coming to an end. Recent findings from the China’s Global Energy Finance Database, managed by the Boston University ...
To Speed Up Coal Plant Retirement, Policymakers Need to Better Understand the Costs and Benefits
By Rishikesh Ram Bhandary and Kevin P. Gallagher Coal-fired power plants will have to be rapidly phased down to meet the Paris Agreement targets and avoid the catastrophic costs of inaction on climate change. At ...
Brazil’s Non-Signing on to China’s BRI: Much Ado About Nothing?
By Jorge Heine Amazingly, a subject as obscure as whether a Latin American country would sign on to a particular Chinese international cooperation program made headlines around the world these days. “Brazil becomes the second country after India not to join ...
Three Big Global Questions on the IMF and World Bank’s Agenda
By Tim Hirschel-Burns The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are not the only places where global economic decision-making takes place, but arguably, no other institutions combine such global scope and implementation power. The United Nations (UN) serves as ...
Pulling China In: The Political Goals and Project Needs Behind Latin America’s Loans From China
By Zara C. Albright Since Latin American countries began borrowing from China’s development finance institutions (DFIs) nearly two decades ago, loans from the China Development Bank (CDB) and the Export-Import Bank of China (CHEXIM) have played a significant role in ...
Navigating Risk and Relationships: Chinese Loans to Africa in 2023
By Diego Morro, Victoria Yvonne Bien-Aimé and Lucas Engel This week, African and Chinese leaders are gathering in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation amid significant anticipation from observers about the summit’s key priorities and whether ...