Over 80% nations got loans from China in the last two decades

China lent more than $2 trillion in loans and grants to over 80% of countries and regions in the world between 2000 and 2023. The U.S. was the biggest beneficiary, according to data released by AidData, a research institute at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Over the years, Chinese state-owned entities have lent about $200 billion for nearly 2,500 projects and initiatives — more than 9% of the total amount lent by China — to American companies. Over 95% of this amount was lent by Chinese state-owned banks, enterprises, and the central bank, while the rest was lent by non-state players.