Transparency of Chinese aid – the published information on Chinese external financial flows

Abstract

There are many myths and misconceptions about the level of information publically available on Chinese efforts and activities in the developing world. With the growing momentum around aid transparency since the Third High Level Forum on aid effectiveness (HLF-3) in Accra in 2008, and the preparations for HLF-4 being held in Busan in late November 2011, the Centre for Chinese Studies published a report on China’s aid information to provide a firmer footing for the discussions going forward. The purpose of this paper is to map and assess the levels of aid information made available across Chinese agencies that engage in various forms of international cooperation. The paper — summarised in this policy briefing — explores opportunities to improve publicly available information on Chinese foreign assistance and how to ensure comparability with other donors. The report was jointly published by the Centre for Chinese Studies (CCS) at Stellenbosch University and Publish What You Fund, the global campaign for aid transparency. The full report can be found on the CCS website: www.sun.ac.za/ccs.