China’s investments the least popular of its diplomacy efforts in South and Central Asia, report suggests

US$126 billion committed by Chinese agencies and banks in 17 years, with over half going to Pakistan and Kazakhstan

Infrastructure ‘dwarfs Beijing’s other diplomacy tools in scale and visibility’ but can be divisive, researchers find

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The Multan-Sukkur Motorway in Pakistan was supported by Chinese investment. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 3:02pm, 10 Dec 2019Updated: 11:11am, 11 Dec 2019

China’s attempts to woo South and Central Asian countries with a total of US$126 billion of investment in 17 years have proved the most polarising of its efforts to gain regional influence, because of concerns over debt traps, transparency and Chinese labour, according to research in the United States.

Almost half of Beijing’s work to make inroads across Asia between 2000 and 2017 involved finance, as it tried to expand its influence through investment and soft power, said a report by AidData, a research lab at the College of William & Mary in Virginia.

The report detailed a range of Chinese initiatives, including sister cities, media pushes, Confucius Institutes – which seek to strengthen understanding of Chinese culture and language – and government visits.

However, researchers found that financial overtures made up 47 per cent of Beijing’s “public diplomacy” in the region in 2017, and it was these that were associated with disapproval in the recipient countries of Chinese involvement.

The 92-page report, published on Tuesday, found US$126 billion in committed, implemented or completed projects in the region in the 17-year period by official Chinese agencies or banks, the bulk of which – US$120 billion – was in infrastructure investments.