Category: Development

China and the Bretton Woods Institutions

By Gregory T. Chin and Kevin P. Gallagher The global economic order is undergoing significant change, especially as it pertains to the Global South. In the 20th century, the legacy Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs) served as one of the only sources ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

How to Lure Chinese Financing Back to the Global South: Report

Global South countries face increasing financing pressure, endangering their ability to keep developing while also implementing measures to deal with a growing climate crisis. The disruption of global trade is coupled with a larger megatrend: flows of international capital to the developing world have turned negative. This means that countries are now routinely paying more to service loans than they receive in disbursements.

The vast majority of Global South borrowers ...

IMF Meetings Begin Under Fresh Cloud of U.S.-China Trade Tensions

The IMF and World Bank's semi-annual gathering of finance ministers and central bank governors got underway in Washington on Monday, against the backdrop of new trade threats between the world's two largest economies. Last week, China unveiled new export restrictions on ...

Indonesia Weighs Dual Strategies With China to Keep Whoosh High-Speed Rail on Track

Indonesia and China are negotiating with China’s economic planner, the NDRC, to address a funding shortfall for the Jakarta–Bandung high-speed rail project, known as "Whoosh." The gap emerged after costs rose by about $1.2 billion, while ticket sales fell short of loan payments.

Kenya’s China Debt Deal Challenges Old Narratives

Kenya and China have reached a groundbreaking agreement to restructure $3.5 billion in railway loans, converting them from U.S. dollars into Chinese yuan. The move could save Kenya $215 million in debt servicing costs and marks the first time an African ...

After Kenya Secures Landmark Railway Debt Deal With China, Indonesia Eyes a Similar Renegotiation

Indonesia's Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani confirmed on Wednesday that talks are underway with Chinese creditors to restructure the $7.3 billion of debt owed by the Sino-Indonesian joint venture that operates the Whoosh high-speed railway. Although the train has been popular with travelers, 

Chinese FDI in Vietnam Rises as Payouts Hit 5-Year High

Chinese FDI in Vietnam ranked as the second source of newly licensed foreign projects in Vietnam in the first nine months of 2025, according to Vietnam’s National Statistics Office (NSO). The country reported $18.8 billion in realized foreign direct investment ...

China, Zambia and Tanzania Seal $1.4 Billion Deal to Modernize Tazara Railway

More than a year after a memorandum of understanding was signed in Beijing, China, Zambia and Tanzania have finalized an agreement to rehabilitate and modernize the Tazara railway. Built by China in the 1970s, the strategic line links Zambia to Tanzania and runs to the port of ...

China Signs Deal to Upgrade Iconic African Rail Line

China, Zambia, and Tanzania signed a $1.4 billion deal to upgrade the TAZARA rail line between the two countries. The line is an icon of Africa-China cooperation, with its first iteration supported by Mao Zedong in the 1970s. The ...

Powering Africa: China’s Expanding Role in the Continent’s Energy Future

This report, authored by International Development expert Dr. Frangton Chiyemura, examines the scale and significance of Chinese-backed energy projects across Africa. From solar parks in Mali to massive hydropower dams in Zambia, it explains how these initiatives are distributed, why they matter, and what they mean ...

Indonesia Prepares for Pivotal Talks on Expanding China-Financed ‘Whoosh’ High-Speed Railway

When the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail, known as the Whoosh, opened in October 2023, it quickly drew scrutiny. China provided billions in loans, KCIC—the China-Indonesia joint venture operating the line—reported losses, and parent companies like the state-owned PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) absorbed significant deficits. Critics ...

Chinese EV Giant Reenters South African Market

The Chinese car company Geely has announced it will return to South Africa, about a decade after it withdrew from the market. It has reportedly secured 35 dealerships around the country, aiming for 40 before its official launch. South Africa’s ...

Famed ‘Sponge Cities’ Chinese Architect Dead in Brazil Plane Crash

Chinese landscape architect Yu Kongjian, known for his so-called nature-mimicking "sponge cities," has died in a small plane crash in Brazil with two filmmakers documenting his work, police said Wednesday. The 62-year-old was considered a leading figure in sustainable urban planning; ...

China Not Seeking New Special and Differential Treatment in WTO Pacts

China will not be seeking new special and differential treatment -- a privilege granted to developing countries -- in current and future World Trade Organization (WTO) talks, the country's official Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday. Xinhua cited Chinese Premier Li Qiang's ...
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