CANBERRA — The announcement of Wang Xiaotao as the head of the State International Development Cooperation Agency, China’s new foreign aid agency, has shed light on its potential direction. It also hints at the business and collaboration opportunities that may exist for traditional donors, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector.
Devex spoke with Dr. Denghua Zhang, research fellow at the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, for his insight into what these opportunities might look like and how to take advantage of them.
The focus on aid within China has traditionally been on bilateral cooperation — working directly with governments of developing countries to identify needs and deliver solutions. But trilateral aid cooperation — between China, a traditional donor country, and a developing country — is an aid delivery mechanism that China is showing increasing interest in.