Chinese Funding Research Articles

China's Investment in Bangladesh: Backdrop of Debt Trap Diplomacy

This research investigates the implications of Chinese investment in Bangladesh, particularly in the context of concerns surrounding debt trap diplomacy. As China extends its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Bangladesh has emerged as a significant recipient of Chinese loans and investments, encompassing infrastructure projects such as ports, power plants, and highways. While these investments are poised to bolster Bangladesh's economic development, they also raise concerns about the potential for unsustainable debt levels and the erosion of sovereignty. This study delves into the economic, political, and social ramifications of Chinese investments in Bangladesh. Through a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative analysis of debt sustainability indicators and qualitative assessments from stakeholder interviews, the research examines whether Chinese funding is leading to a debt trap scenario. Preliminary findings suggest that while Chinese investments have accelerated infrastructure development, they have also increased Bangladesh's debt burden and dependency on China. Furthermore, the strategic placement of investments suggests potential geopolitical motivations behind Chinese funding. This research aims to contribute to the broader discourse on the impact of Chinese foreign direct investment in developing countries, offering policy recommendations for Bangladesh to navigate the complexities of foreign financing without compromising its economic sovereignty. The study underscores the necessity for rigorous debt management and transparent investment policies to mitigate the risks associated with large-scale foreign loans.

Chinese Funding: A Curse to Africa

The role of China in the liberation of Africa from colonial rule cannot be down played as I laid a foundation to Africa today. Most African countries were aided by China militarily and ideologically in the fight against Western colonial rule. Though some scholars would suggest that China`s contribution was as a result of the hostility that was there in the times of the cold war between the self-acclaimed democrats of the Western bloc and the Communist Eastern bloc. Philosophers like Marx Engel, Karl Marx, Lenin and Mao Zedong had a major influence on the liberation of Africa. The purpose of this paper is to show how the relationship that started as sincere has become a curse for the poor and unconnected Africans. In recent years the Chinese has overtaken the Briton hood Institutes of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank as the major lenders of loans to African States. Kwame Nkrumah warned us of the danger of Africa being recolonised in what he termed neo colonialism where the colonisers will come as investors. Neo colonialism is no longer a theory but has become a reality as will be exposed in this article using empirical, qualitative and quantitative research methods to show how a friendship with China has benefited the elite politicians at the cost of citizens affairs. Africa is endowed with natural resources yet it has the poorest population per Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. The paper will show how it is easy for a Chinese to own a business in Africa compared to the native Africans using the case of Shurugwi in Zimbabwe.

Borrowing from China and Sovereign Credit Risk

China's lending to developing nations has surged since the mid-2000s, making it these nations' largest official creditor. Contracts frequently feature unique terms, indicating China's substantial privileges as a lender. However, other lenders are also involved. We examine how these lending relationships with China affect access to credit from international bondholders. Combining data on external marketable debt and prices with Chinese lending data, we find that Chinese funding events decrease marketable debt issuance and sovereign yields. Conversely, debt restructuring with China leads to higher spreads. These findings underscore the impact of China's lending on international credit access.

China’s Strategic Lending Policy: Implications for Latin America

China is quickly becoming the largest official lender in the world. For Latin America, China is overtaking multilateral lenders such as the World Bank as the biggest holder of debt in the region. When this is added to the trade relationship with Latin America that has grown rapidly in the twenty first century, initially driven by China’s demand for commodities, the linkage between the two now goes even deeper. It further means that a potential stop to Chinese funding due to a domestic financial crisis would have an even more widespread impact on Latin America. This paper analyses China’s overseas lending strategy and how it has deepened the relationship with Latin America. It then turns to the potential of a Chinese financial crisis and the significant implications for the Latin American region. The article concludes with policy recommendations.

The past, present, and future of liver cancer research in China

Liver cancer is among the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide and China accounts for nearly half of the global burden of liver cancer. Effective interventions such as hepatitis vaccinations, new blood tests and imaging tests significantly decreased the incidence worldwide, especially in China. Unraveling the systemic and molecular mechanisms of liver cancer would contribute to develop more effective therapies to prolong the 5 year survival of the patients. The Chinese funding agencies have been paying high attention to the basic and translational research of liver cancer. Over the last decade, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) initiated a panel of research programs which supported liver cancer research in multiple directions. Besides, great progress has been made in basic and clinical research, platform construction and drug development in the field of liver cancer. In this article, we summarized the funding landscape, research progress, cooperation among countries and institutions, and drug discovery in China, with an attempt to compare the status and outcome with our peers globally.

Chinese Development Aid and Finance: Effective Soft Power Tool or Public Diplomacy Liability? A Spatial Study of Project Influence

China has risen to become a significant donor of foreign aid and assistance in recent years. As with other major donors, such economic flows in the provenance of China are tied to the latterʼs strategic aims. Specifically, the use of economic outlays as a tool of soft power and public diplomacy has been identified as a key motivation in Chinese disbursement decisions. However, studies examining the empirical success of Chinese foreign aid and assistance in acting as such have, so far, come to diverging conclusions. This study offers an investigation of the spatially diffused effects of infrastructure project sites tied to Chinese funding sources on local public opinion in Ecuador, a country that offers an interesting case showcasing the effects of the unfolding great power competition on local public opinion. We find, that controlling for socio-economic and ideological individual characteristics holding the potential to affect survey respondentsʼ views on China, project influence is significantly and negatively correlated with levels of trust in the Chinese government. These results suggest that the frequently mediatized negative local spillover effects of Chinese-funded or financed infrastructure projects make it unlikely for Chinaʼs foreign aid and assistance to achieve its envisioned purpose of furthering the countryʼs soft power and positive image beyond its borders.

Chinese Policy in Latin America: Lessons and Risks for Spain

In the past two decades, Latin American countries and China have strengthened cooperation in such areas as politics, economy, finance, culture, and military sphere. In these relations each party pursues its own goals: China, for example, is looking for access to new sources of raw materials and markets, as well as support on some sensitive issues on the international agenda, such as the problem of human rights or the status of Taiwan. Latin America seeks new sources of finance, and technology, as well as the diversification of foreign policy ties. Sino-Latin American relations are most active in the sphere of economy, investment and lending, that increases the interdependence between China and the countries of the region and even the dependence on Chinese funding. At the same time, despite gradual growth, social and cultural contacts between parties remain limited, and that constrains the development of mutual understanding between them. The strengthening of Beijing's position in Latin America logically arouses Spain's fears, as the region has always been a historical space for its foreign policy; Spain's position and attractiveness there are gradually declining. However, since cooperation with China contributes to the development of Latin American countries, it can play a positive role for Spain and creates an opportunity for building ties between Spanish and Chinese institutions. Thus, the article is devoted to the problem of the influence of the development of Sino-Latin American relations on the role of Spain as a traditional foreign policy partner of the region. The authors conclude that in the context of the growth of partnership between Latin America and China, Spain will have to look for ways to cooperate with Chinese entities, trying to maintain its role in the region and derive benefits from such cooperation.

China’s Official Finance in the Global South: Whatʼs the Literature Telling Us?

Abstract In the last two decades, there have been exponential increases in Chinese loans and grants, particularly flowing to the Global South. The subsequent growth effects in the South have led to speculation about China’s development models that govern its official finance and the overall macroeconomic effects. Consequently, a considerable body of research has investigated how different Chinese development policies affect the allocation patterns and outcomes in the Global South. This paper critically reviews related scholarly works, emphasising empirical literature. It identifies that the One China Policy is unanimously the most important strategy in explaining Chinese funding, although this policy tool may not be linked to trade with China and its humanitarian assistance. Chinese finance undermines efforts to promote good governance and contributes to political extortion and environmental degradation in recipient countries by not imposing governance reform conditionality on official financing. However, this argument must be carefully weighed against the positive impact of Chinese finance on health and economic growth, among other benefits. Despite intense research efforts, further research is still needed to understand vulnerabilities associated with China’s development models. The information conveyed by the review will be of interest to foreign aid spectators seeking to learn from China’s experience.

The EU Accession Process, Chinese Finance and Rising Corruption in Western Balkan Stabilitocracies: Serbia and Montenegro

As front runners in the EU accession process, Serbia and Montenegro have failed to control corruption yet managed to advance along the path to EU integration. Although they have stronger state capacity compared to other Western Balkan countries, the two have recently reverted to previous poor governance practices after initial headway meeting EU good governance conditions. An in-depth analysis of the two countries explains this paradox as the result of the combination of the EU accession process and increasing Chinese finance. While the EU’s stability-oriented strategy helped to consolidate these authoritarian regimes, Chinese funding policies have further strengthened patronage networks, fuelling corruption in the EU’s ‘stabilitocracies’.

Origins, motives, and challenges in Western–Chinese research collaborations amid recent geopolitical tensions: findings from Swedish–Chinese research collaborations

Until recently, modern science had been dominated by a handful of Western countries. However, since the turn of the millennium, the global science landscape has undergone dramatic changes. The number of nations where a significant proportion of research done is of high international standard has now increased considerably. China particularly stands out and is today one of the leading science nations in the world. Overall, Chinese research collaborations with countries in the Western world exemplify the general trend towards increasing complexity in the global research landscape. It has gradually become obvious that differences between institutional settings need to be managed more systematically to promote cross-border research cooperation for shared benefits, from individual to institutional levels. An informed discussion of managing complex conditions necessitates an understanding of the relationship-level dynamics of research collaborations. In order to identify what aspects of international research collaborations are the most pertinent to systematically manage at individual and institutional levels, this paper investigates projects in a bilateral Swedish–Chinese funding program. The paper finds that the majority of collaborations funded had yielded positive impact in terms of publications, strengthened research capacity in research groups, and resource accumulation. The challenges found in the collaborations are related to needs such as improving transparency, ethical concerns, and imbalances in reciprocity.

Hybrid entrepreneurial urban governance in post-colonial Ghana: an analysis of Chinese funding of the Kotokuraba market project in Cape Coast

ABSTRACT Conventional forms of entrepreneurial urban governance are characterized by strong municipal urban governments, who have the autonomy to use and decide over innovative financing instruments and public–private partnerships, and whose decisions are not overly influenced by the national political interests of central government authorities. This article examines the extent to which this conceptualization applies in an African context, particularly Ghana. Drawing on a case study of Chinese funding of market infrastructural redevelopment in Cape Coast, we demonstrate that the existing conceptualization is inadequate to understand the framework and dynamics of entrepreneurial urban governance in Ghana, where mayors are appointed by Presidents, can “only” secure large-scale funding with the support of the central government, and are obliged to protect the political interests of the President and the ruling political party. Consequently, we argue that a new concept – hybrid entrepreneurial urban governance – is crucial to denote the Ghanaian variant of entrepreneurial urban governance and to analyze the multi-scalar mechanisms and local politics of urban governance in post-colonial Ghana. We argue that hybrid entrepreneurial urban governance thrives on a strong relationship between local and national politics. This article recommends that there is the need to strengthen multi-scalar collaborations not only in securing large-scale funding for capital infrastructure but also through to the subsequent stages of pricing and repayment.

International research collaborations will face continued scrutiny in the US

National security concerns about US research increased under President Donald J. Trump’s administration. Its anti-China stance led to restrictions on international collaborations and even prosecutions of academic researchers, often for failure to report Chinese funding. While the rhetoric has changed somewhat under President Joe Biden, efforts to address research security concerns continue. On Jan. 4, Biden’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released guidelines for how federal funding agencies should seek information from researchers about their international collaborations or non-US funding (see page 15) . The US Congress has also been negotiating national security restrictions for academics . Universities hope that Congress looks at the OSTP’s new guidelines and doesn’t add anything that conflicts with them, which would be “a big challenge,” says Deborah Altenburg, associate vice president for research policy and government affairs at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. Faculty are already confused by research security

Research on the impact of Chinese local government patent funding on the development of regional patent

This paper aims to study the impact of Chinese patent funding support on the development of regional patent layout.Data samples were selected from Guangxi, Jiangsu and non-pilot provinces, and data samples were selected from the period 2015-2018.This paper discusses the influence relationship by game theory.The conclusion is that the support of patent funding has a positive impact on economically developed areas and a negative impact on economically less developed areas.Other measures are required to eliminate the aforementioned negative effects.

Chinese funding of the Global South: The role of the State Development Bank of China in the African economy

The article examines China’s financing of the development of the Global South, provides quantitative data, including the implementation of the Chinese initiative “One Belt, One Road”. The author concludes that China, its banks, including the State Development Bank of China (CDB), are actively financing projects and programs in African countries within the framework of “mutual assistance among developing countries”. Projects are being implemented in various sectors of the economy, including infrastructure, agriculture and industry. Project financing is complemented by the development of export-import relations between China and African countries, which involve a large number of Chinese enterprises. China and African countries use the FOCAC forum for three-year project and program funding planning. In 2021 at FOCAC, the Chinese leadership not only significantly reduced the amount of funding, but also changed its order: now the resources will go to African financial institutions, which will finance the projects. The CDB, through which China finances projects to a large extent both in Africa and in other countries of the Global South, draws on its many years of experience in the selection, evaluation and implementation of projects in Africa. This makes it possible to ensure the selection of high-quality and relevant for China projects in African countries, to carry out their successful implementation and, as a result, create conditions for economic growth.

How Does the Chinese Government Select and Funding High-Level Talents? An Empirical Study Based on the Resumes of Talents.

Based on the textual data of the resumes of 499 high-level talents, this study attempts to explore the factors affecting the selection and funding of high-level talents in western China. From the empirical analysis, we found that (1) the western Chinese government tends to favor the young and native talents, with a high initial academic degree (the degree obtained before working) and final academic degree (the highest degree obtained); (2) the talents with more experience, higher education, national talent titles, and participation in national projects are more likely to receive higher levels of funding; (3) it is easier for talents in universities and research institutes to be entitled as high-level talents and to gain funding than those in enterprises; and (4) talents in the fields of medicine, agronomy, and basic sciences are more likely to be entitled as high-level talents than those in other professional fields.

The effect of competitive public funding on scientific output: A comparison between China and the EU

Abstract Public funding is believed to play an important role in the development of science and technology. However, whether public funding and, in particular, competitive funding from public agencies actually helps to increase scientific output (i.e. publications) remains a matter of debate. By analysing a dataset of co-publications between China and the EU and a dataset of joint project collaborations in European Framework Programs for Research and Innovation [FP7 and Horizon 2020 (H2020)], we investigate whether different public funding agencies’ competitive assets have different impact on the volume of publication output. Our results support the hypotheses that competitively funded research output varies by funding sources, so that a high level of funding does not necessarily lead to high scientific output. Our results show that FP7/H2020 funded projects do not have a positive contribution to the output of joint publications between China and the EU. Interestingly, cooperation in the form of jointly writing proposals to these EU programmes, especially when they are not granted by the European Commission, can contribute significantly to joint scientific publications in a later stage. This applies in particular to cases where funding from China is involved. Our findings highlight the key role that funding agencies play in influencing research behaviour. Our results indicate that Chinese funding triggers a high number of publications, whereas research funded by the EU does so to a much lower extent, arguably due to the EU’s strong focus on social impact and its funding schemes as tools to promote European integration.

21.4 BASELINE CLINICAL AND BIOLOGICAL VARIABLES PREDICTING 1 YEAR OUTCOME OF SUBJECTS AT CLINICAL HIGH RISK OF PSYCHOSIS: INSIGHT FROM SHANGHAI AT RISK FOR PSYCHOSIS (SHARP) PROGRAM

BackgroundIn 2010, the “ShangHai At Risk for Psychosis (SHARP)” study was launched at the Shanghai Mental Health Center (SMHC), the largest outpatient mental health clinic in China. The Chinese SHARP research was led by Dr. Larry Seidman, who was also the PI of the Harvard site of the NAPLS project. He had implemented methods very similar to those used in NAPLS for the identification of clinical high risk (CHR) individuals in Mainland China in studies jointly funded by the United States National Institute of Mental Health and Chinese funding agencies.MethodsDr. Seidman began a collaboration with the SMHC by advising us in carrying out an epidemiological study and then received joint funding for an R21 MH093294 (Fogarty/NIH, “Broadening the Investigation of Psychosis Prodrome to Different Cultural Groups”) designed to implement a variety of clinical, neurocognitive and event related potential (ERP) measures in a preliminary study of CHR. That study, which began in April 2012 and ended in March 2015, aimed to build research capacity at the SMHC. He guide us provided 4 in-person research and clinical skills trainings (2 in SMHC, 2 in Boston), translated a widely used CHR diagnostic instrument (the Structured Interview for Prodromal Symptoms/SIPS), and trained China partners to conduct a preliminary study of 100 CHR individuals. Building upon the R21 project, and the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Studies (NAPLS) model, the same group of researchers led by Dr. Seidman is collaborating on an NIMH R01 101052-01 project (2013 to 2016) to examine biomarkers of CHR with 1 year follow-up. The R21 and R01 collaborations between Harvard Medical School (HMS), MIT, Florida A&M University (FAMU), and SMHC investigators have capitalized on the resources and experiences of the Harvard researchers as members of NAPLS, MIT researchers’ leading role in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and FAMU researchers’ expertise in bridging western and Chinese cultures to enhance the existing capacity of Chinese researchers studying the biopsychosocial aspects of CHR. Finally, a stratified cohort of 300 CHR participants was recruited between 2012–2015, and followed up for at least 1 year.ResultsWith the hope of Dr. Seidman, the SHARP project is ongoing and getting better, larger and stronger. Of the total 417 CHR participants (previous epidemiological survey [CHR, n = 117], R21 [CHR, n = 100], R01 [CHR, n =200]), 349 completed at least a year of follow-up (until August 30, 2017; the longest follow-up case was six and a half years), in which 83 converted to psychosis, and 68 were lost. Preliminary data showed about 20% CHR converted to a psychotic disorder over the course of follow-up, several clinical factors such as 1) functional decline; 2) selected positive symptoms(unusual thoughts and suspiciousness); 3) selected negative symptoms(social anhedonia, expression of emotion, and ideational richness); biological factors such as the P300 auditory ERP; fMRI: Reduced anti-correlation between the bilateral parietal lobule and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; Structural MRI: superior temporal gyrus. et al. are account for increasing the risk of conversion to full psychosis.DiscussionThis is the first, well-implemented, longitudinal study of CHR in a low and middle-income country to comprehensively investigate clinical and biological factors in predicting psychosis conversion and illness progression. Dr. Seidman provide a critical step in the implementation of CHR concept in China, just as an obvious need and urgency for prevention and early intervention for Chinese patients with schizophrenia.

“One Belt One Road” and Central Asia: A New Trend in Internationalization of Higher Education?

China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) strategy is the latest trend in international relations, and it is making a real impact on higher education in Central Asia. This article discusses the impact of three aspects of the plan: Chinese funding for study abroad, the Confucius Institutes, and the role of Xinjiang, China’s northwestern frontier.

“One Belt One Road” and Central Asia: A New Trend in Internationalization of Higher Education?

China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) strategy is the latest trend in international relations, and it is making a real impact on higher education in Central Asia. This article discusses the impact of three aspects of the plan: Chinese funding for study abroad, the Confucius Institutes, and the role of Xinjiang, China’s northwestern frontier.

Garantir l’accès à l’électricité en Afrique : les défis à relever en matière de financement et de réformes

L’Afrique subsaharienne est confrontée à des problèmes d’alimentation électrique chroniques, avec notamment une capacité de production insuffisante. Le manque d’investissements en faveur de la capacité de production d’électricité est au cœur de la crise énergétique en Afrique. La plupart des gouvernements africains ne sont pas en mesure de financer leurs besoins énergétiques et la majorité des services publics ne disposent pas d’une notation incitative et sont incapables de lever des crédits suffisants à un taux abordable. L’APD et les IFD n’ont que partiellement comblé ce déficit de financement. Aujourd’hui, les sources de financement qui augmentent le plus rapidement sont les sources privées et les financements chinois.