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Rogue Aid? The Determinants of China’s Aid Allocation

Author

Listed:
  • Axel Dreher

    (Heidelberg University)

  • Andreas Fuchs

    (Georg-August-University Göttingen)

Abstract

Foreign aid from China is often characterized as ‘rogue aid’ that is not guided by recipient need but by China’s national interests alone. However, no econometric study so far confronts this claim with data. We make use of various datasets, covering the 1956-2006 period, to empirically test to which extent political and commercial interests shape China’s aid allocation decisions. We estimate the determinants of China’s allocation of project aid, food aid, medical staff and total aid money to developing countries, comparing its allocation decisions with traditional and other so-called emerging donors. We find that political considerations are an important determinant of China’s allocation of aid. However, in comparison to other donors, China does not pay substantially more attention to politics. In contrast to widespread perceptions, we find no evidence that China’s aid allocation is dominated by natural resource endowments. Moreover, China’s allocation of aid seems to be widely independent of democracy and governance in recipient countries. Overall, denominating aid from China as ‘rogue aid’ seems unjustified.

Suggested Citation

  • Axel Dreher & Andreas Fuchs, 2011. "Rogue Aid? The Determinants of China’s Aid Allocation," Courant Research Centre: Poverty, Equity and Growth - Discussion Papers 93, Courant Research Centre PEG, revised 29 Feb 2012.
    • Handle: RePEc:got:gotcrc:093
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    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. China and the aid market
      by Straub in Stephane Straub on 2012-01-30 13:05:12

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    Cited by:

    1. Akhtaruzzaman, Muhammad & Berg, Nathan & Lien, Donald, 2017. "Confucius Institutes and FDI flows from China to Africa," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 241-252.
    2. Axel Dreher & Andreas Fuchs, 2011. "Does terror increase aid?," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 149(3), pages 337-363, December.
    3. Bastian Gawellek & Jingjing Lyu & Bernd Süssmuth, 2016. "Did Chinese Outward Activity Attenuate or Aggravate the Great Recession in Developing Countries?," CESifo Working Paper Series 5735, CESifo.
    4. Austin Strange & Bradley Parks & Michael J. Tierney & Andreas Fuchs & Axel Dreher & Vijaya Ramachandran, 2013. "China’s Development Finance to Africa: A Media-Based Approach to Data Collection," Working Papers 323, Center for Global Development.
    5. Daniele Pianeselli, 2016. "Does The one who pays the piper really call the tune? OECD and Chinese aid to infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa," Departmental Working Papers of Economics - University 'Roma Tre' 0204, Department of Economics - University Roma Tre.
    6. Matthew S. Winters, 2013. "Introduction," International Interactions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(3), pages 386-389, July.
    7. Kersting, Erasmus & Kilby, Christopher, 2014. "Aid and democracy redux," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 125-143.
    8. Cécile Couharde & Fatih Karanfil & Eric Gabin Kilamaa & Luc Désiré Omgbaa, 2017. "The Importance of Oil in the Allocation of Foreign Aid: The case of the G7 donors," EconomiX Working Papers 2017-40, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    9. Pooja Khosla, 2015. "Intra-Regional Trade In Africa And The Impact Of Chinese Intervention: A Gravity Model Approach," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 40(4), pages 41-66, December.
    10. Azam, Jean-Paul & Thelen, Véronique, 2014. "Did the Aid Boom Pacify Sub-Saharan Africa?: Ex-Post Evaluation Using a Near-Identification Approach," TSE Working Papers 14-544, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE), revised Jun 2019.
    11. Furukawa, Mitsuaki, 2014. "Management of the International Development Aid System Aid System and the Creation of Political Space for China:The Case of Tanzania," Working Papers 82, JICA Research Institute.
    12. Sujin Cha, 2024. "Chinese aid and corruption in African local governments," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(1), pages 587-605, January.

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    JEL classification:

    • F35 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Aid

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