The Shifting Characteristics of Chinese Foreign Aid in COVID-19 Pandemic 2020–2021

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has significant effects on China’s foreign aid practice. In response to the pandemic, China seeks to diversify their foreign aid approach by including vaccines into their foreign aid package. China also seeks to improve their national image among other countries, which has been tarnished by the COVID-19 pandemic. The addition of vaccines and medical equipment to China’s foreign aid repertoire and the changes present in the third foreign aid white paper may indicate possible shifts in China’s foreign aid characteristics. This may present a significant departure from previous practices of China’s foreign aid that focused on building economic capacity of recipient states and being more ‘business-oriented’ than their western counterpart. Thus, this study aims to explain through qualitative means the shifting characteristics that occur within China’s aid in response to the present global challenges caused by COVID-19.