The historic United States pivot from its lead role in international cooperation, coupled with the wider trend of aid deprioritization among the other major donors, has reopened a conversation around China’s evolving position in the global development sphere. Many are wondering: Could the world’s second-largest economy step up and fill the void left by the U.S.?
China has been an active development player since the establishment of its government in 1949. For many years, its focus was on technical assistance and the so-called south-south cooperation, a technical partnership among low- and middle-income countries in the global south.
In 2013, it took a major turn with the announcement of the Belt and Road Initiative — a transcontinental strategy aimed at improving connectivity between Asia, Africa, and Europe, primarily through infrastructure projects.