Economy
China Has Invested a Staggering $169.3 Billion in This Country in 2 Decades
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China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was founded on a desire to increase China’s connectivity with Europe and Africa. This initiative, which largely focuses on infrastructure, would affect 151 countries globally. As the China Power Project from the Center for Strategic & International Studies explains, the BRI contributed to $2.8 trillion in trade between China and member countries in 2021 and $1 trillion in construction projects and investments in BRI-associated countries. Chinese investment in other countries continues to rise each year. (As China increases foreign investment, securities regulators are also trying to improve the market nationally.)
Russia remains the most interesting, and perhaps controversial, of the countries that China invests in. China has provided more funding to Russia than to any other country, which continues to hold true over the years. However, this has deepened global concern over what a partnership between these two powerhouses could cause. China could be taking advantage of Russia’s valuable natural resources. While there hasn’t been any huge update since 2021, Russia’s natural resources are valued at an estimated $75 trillion. Russia could be using these natural resources, which include natural gas, oil, and coil, to get financial backing from China. Western countries threatened sanctions. Yet China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin continually build their ties.
To determine which countries China invests in the most, 24/7 Wall St. used AidData’s Global Chinese Development Finance Dataset, courtesy of the College of William and Mary. Based on projects funded by the Chinese government from 2000-2021, this article ranks countries according to the inflation-adjusted value of all projects backed by Chinese loans. Financial values were converted from original currencies to constant 2017 U.S. dollars and aggregated according to AidData recommendations. Supplemental data on primary investment sector and the largest project by amount invested were calculated from the AidData dataset. Investment per capita was calculated using population averages from 2000 to 2017 from the World Bank.
24/7 Wall St. also utilized data on Chinese foreign investments from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), which provides more depth into Chinese construction projects and investments between 2000-2023.
Why We Needed to Cover this Issue
As we advance further into the 21st century, China maintains significant economic influence, accounting for an estimated 21% growth in world GDP through 2029. Over the past decades, China has invested heavily in Russia and that investment seems to only be growing. Though these countries have not always seen eye-to-eye, Westerners worry that the two may be uniting out of a mutual rivalry with the United States. Together, China and Russia continue to challenge U.S.-led sanctions. The joint influence of these countries and their military capabilities remains to be seen. But it is clear that no view of world economics is complete without a clear understanding of China and its foreign investments.
Here are the 40 countries that China has invested a large amount in.
40. Mozambique
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $6.1 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $185.01
- Main investment area: Energy (comprising approximately 42% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Eximbank pledged $3.45 billion for the Mpanda Nkuwa Hydroelectric Power Plant Project.
39. Oman
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $7.1 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $1,551.57
- Main investment area: General Budget Support (comprising approximately 80% of funding)
- Major undertaking: Bank of Communications, CDB, BoC, and ICBC provided $3.2 billion to syndicated bullet loan to support Oman’s 2017 fiscal deficit.
38. Papua New Guinea
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $7.2 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $685.71
- Main investment area: Industry, Mining, Construction (comprising approximately 58% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Eximbank gave $1.3 billion loan in 2009 for PNG Liquefied Natural Gas.
37. Cuba
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $7.8 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $695.80
- Main investment area: Action Relating to Debt (comprising approximately 45% of funding)
- Major undertaking: Chinese Government lends $2.83 billion of debt forgiveness in 2016.
36. Congo-Brazzaville
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $7.8 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $1,306.53
- Main investment area: Transport and Storage (comprising approximately 45% of funding)
- Major undertaking: CMEC gave $551.5 million supplier’s credit to Power Transmission Network Associated with the 2005 Imboulou Hydropower Plant Project.
35. Cameroon
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $9.0 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $322.46
- Main investment area: Transport and Storage (comprising approximately 38% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Eximbank put $678.3 million toward 2015 buyer’s credit loan for Project to Supply Potable Water via the River Sanaga.
34. Equatorial Guinea
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $9.3 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $5,850.74
- Main investment area: Industry, Mining, Construction (comprising approximately 12.0% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Eximbank gave $2 billion oil-backed buyer’s credit loan facility for 2006 infrastructure projects.
33. Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $9.8 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $375.99
- Main investment area: Energy (comprising approximately 80% of funding)
- Major undertaking: Chinese Government donated 500,000 tons of crude oil in 2008.
32. Ghana
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $10.4 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $310.63
- Main investment area: Energy (comprising approximately 58.7% of funding)
- Major undertaking: The Export-Import Bank of China spent hundreds of millions on a green energy initiative.
31. India
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $10.7 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $7.55
- Main investment area: Communications (comprising approximately 57% of funding)
- Major undertaking: CDB supplied a $1.33 billion loan for 2011 Reliance Communications.
30. Belarus
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $11.7 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $1,267.88
- Main investment area: Industry, Mining, Construction (comprising approximately 47% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Development Bank allowed $1.4 billion buyer’s credit loan for the 2016 Slavkaliy Potash Mine and Processing Plant Construction Project.
29. Turkmenistan
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $12.3 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $1,912.61
- Main investment area: Industry, Mining, Construction (comprising approximately 94% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Development Bank provided a $4.1 billion loan to the 2013 Galkynysh Gas Field Phase II Project.
28. Kenya
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $13.2 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $244.30
- Main investment area: Transport and Storage (comprising approximately 64% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Eximbank provided a $2.003 billion buyer’s credit loan for Phase 1 of 2014 Standard Gauge Railway Project.
27. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $13.7 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $138.36
- Main investment area: Transport and Storage (comprising approximately 45% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Eximbank gave $2.0299 billion loan two phases of a 2008 Sicomines Copper and Cobalt Mining Project.
26. Zambia
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $14.0 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $699.30
- Main investment area: Energy (comprising approximately 37% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Eximbank and ICBC contributed $1.53 billion USD syndicated loan for 2017 750MW Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Power Plant Construction Project.
25. Myanmar
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $14.5 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $267.62
- Main investment area: Industry, Mining, Construction (comprising approximately 56% of funding)
- Major undertaking: CDB gave $1.04 billion for Phases 2, 2A, and 3 of the 2010 Myingyan No. 1 Steel Mill Construction Project. China also rescheduled several loans worth $129.9 million in 2021.
24. Nigeria
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $14.7 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $67.27
- Main investment area: Transport and Storage (comprising approximately 47% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Eximbank loaned $1.267 billion preferential buyer’s credit for the second phase of 2017 project.
23. Malaysia
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $16.0 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $471.42
- Main investment area: Transport and Storage (comprising approximately 55% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Eximbank lended RM 39.1 billion preferential buyer’s credit for Phase 1 of 2016 East Coast Rail Link.
22. Peru
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $17.1 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $502.20
- Main investment area: Industry, Mining, Construction (comprised 93.5% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Eximbank, Bank of China, CDB, and ICBC provide $5.988 billion syndicated loan toward repaying debts and meeting capital requirements of 2014 Las Bambas Copper Project.
21. Iraq
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $17.2 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $386.51
- Main investment area: Action Relating to Debt (comprising approximately 99% of funding)
- Major undertaking: The Chinese government relieved $6.7 billion USD of Iraq’s outstanding debt obligations in 2010.
20. Cambodia
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $17.7 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $1,055.45
- Main investment area: Transport and Storage (comprising approximately 35% of funding)
- Major undertaking: Bank of China, CDB, and ICBC contributed a $781 million debt financing package for the 2013 400MW Lower Sesan II Hydropower Plant Project.
19. Uzbekistan
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $18.2 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $510.52
- Main investment area: Industry, Mining, Construction (comprising approximately 46% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Development Bank provided a $1.2 billion USD loan to Uzbekneftegaz for the Oltin Yo’l gas-to-liquid of 2017.
18. Sudan
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $18.9 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $403.24
- Main investment area: Energy (comprised 39% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Eximbank provides $1.098 billion USD buyer’s credit loan for 2007 Khartoum-Port Sudan Railway Construction Project.
17. Bangladesh
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $20.8 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $121.49
- Main investment area: Energy (comprising approximately 58% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Eximbank provides $1.984 billion for Phase 1 of 2016 1320MW Payra Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant Project
16. Sri Lanka
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $20.5 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $924.25
- Main investment area: Transport and Storage (comprised 62% of funding)
- Major undertaking: CBSL made a RMB 10 billion drawdown under a currency swap agreement with PBOC in 2021.
15. South Africa
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $21.3 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $355.65
- Main investment area: Energy (comprised 40% of funding)
- Major undertaking: Huarong Energy Africa contributed $2 billion loan to Eskom’s 2017 power plant upgrades.
14. Laos
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $21.3 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $2,829.06
- Main investment area: Energy (comprised 57% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Eximbank gives $3.54 billion of debt financing for 2016 China-Laos Railway Project.
13. Ethiopia
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $21.4 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $173.41
- Main investment area: Transport and Storage (comprised 33% of funding)
- Major undertaking: CDB lended $1.5 billion seller’s credit to ZTE for on-lending to Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation as supplier credit for first three phases of 2007 telecommunications infrastructure project.
12. Ecuador
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $26.6 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $1,477.77
- Main investment area: Energy (comprised 33% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Eximbank contributed $1.68 billion buyer’s credit loan for 2010 Coca Codo Sinclair Hydroelectric Facility Project.
11. Iran
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $28 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $316.20
- Main investment area: Transport and Storage (comprised 39% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Eximbank gives $1.818 billion loan for Phase 2 of 2017 Abadan Refinery Upgrade Project.
10. Turkey
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $28.3 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $333.01
- Main investment area: Communications (comprising approximately 30% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Eximbank gave $720 million of debt financing for the second phase of the 2007 Ankara-Istanbul High Speed Rail Project. CDB also made a $200 million loan to the Development Bank of Turkey in 2021.
9. Vietnam
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $28.9 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $294.32
- Main investment area: Energy (comprising 84% of funding)
- Major undertaking: ICBC, BoC, CDB, CCB, and BoComm provided $2 billion syndicated buyer’s credit loan for 2016 1980MW Vinh Tan 3 Coal-Fired Power Plant Construction Project.
8. Argentina
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $37.8 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $817.65
- Main investment area: Energy (comprising approximately 68% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Development Bank lended $2.49 billion to $4.71 billion syndicated loan for the 2014 Nestor Kichner and Jorge Cepernic Hydroelectric Dam Construction Project.
7. Brazil
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $54.3 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $200.36
- Main investment area: Industry, Mining, Construction (comprised 55% of funding)
- Major undertaking: CDB provided $10 billion line of credit for 2009 oil exploration in the Santos Basin.
6. Indonesia
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $55.2 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $145.75
- Main investment area: Energy (comprised 46% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Development Bank provided a $2.3805 billion loan tranche for the 2017 Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Rail Project. In 2021, the Bank of China also contributed $90 million to a $545 million syndicated loan for Phase 1 of the Indian Lithium Project.
5. Kazakhstan
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $64.1 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $3,267.07
- Main investment area: Industry, Mining, Construction (comprising 72% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Development Bank and Bank of China provided a $7.5 billion USD syndicated loan for the 2008 Kazakhstani Section of Line A and B of the Turkmenistan-China Gas Pipeline.
4. Angola
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $65.1 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $1,829.56
- Main investment area: Energy (comprised 43% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China Development Bank gave $10 billion to Government of Angola in 2016 to recapitalize Sonangol and prepay outstanding debts.
3. Pakistan
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $70.3 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $298.13
- Main investment area: Energy (comprising 60% of funding)
- Major undertaking: The CCB and ICCB contributed a $1.54 billion syndicated loan for the Azad Pattan Hydropower Plant Construction Project.
2. Venezuela
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $112.9 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $3,989.39
- Main investment area: Industry, Mining, Construction (comprising 20% of funding)
- Major undertaking: China-Venezuela Joint Fund $20.3 Billion Long-Term Facility – 70 Billion RMB CDB Loan in 2010.
1. Russia
- Cumulative investment from China since 2000: $169.3 billion
- Chinese investment per person: $1,174.06
- Main investment area: Industry, Mining, Construction (comprising 82% of funding)
- Major undertaking: CNPC contributed a $33 billion loan via oil prepayment facility to Rosneft for unspecified purposes in 2013. In 2021, China Petroleum and Chemical also invested $360 million.
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