Development Financing from China

The increasing influence of China in the Asia-Pacific region also manifests in its provision of development finance through various institutions like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and private corporations. In the CSO Aid Observatorio, three reports show how AIIB funding is channeled to infrastructure projects. The other projects are funded by a multinational corporation and development banks from China, like the China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China. Central Asia (2 projects), Southeast Asia (2), South Asia (1), and the Pacific (1) are the sub-regions that received funding. Two of the projects are allocated to transportation; the other three to financial services, housing, and tourism. However, communities reported negative impacts of these projects, such as forced displacement, poor working conditions, loss of livelihood, pollution, and a lack of accountability and transparency, with children and women being the most affected. Moreover, these projects lacked available grievance mechanisms, and most of the projects’ partnerships with CSOs are negligible.