The Chinese government released this month its much-awaited second white paper on its foreign aid in an attempt — according to several observers — to temper transparency issues and reflect all of the country’s official development assistance flows.
After the first edition released over three years ago, the latest document details the country’s ODA from 2010 to 2012, which amounts to over $14 billion in the form of grants at (36.2 percent), concessional loans (55.7 percent) and interest-free loans (8.1 percent). By sectors, economic infrastructure got the bulk of Chinese foreign aid allocations with 44.8 percent, followed by social and public infrastructure and goods and materials at 27.6 percent and 15 percent, respectively.
China’s ODA went to a total 121 countries: 51 in Africa, 39 in Asia-Pacific, 19 in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 12 in Europe. Two themes highlighted in the document hint at how Beijing views its foreign aid policy in the future: improving people’s livelihood and promoting economic and social development.