Democratic Republic of Congo: Chinese Development Finance Profile, 2000-2022

This country profile of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) provides a detailed overview of the scale, scope, and composition of Chinese state-directed financing to the DRC between 2000 and 2022. It includes granular information on key trends in China’s loan and grant commitments, its lending portfolio, ESG risks in its infrastructure projects, and contractual safeguards adoption and implementation.

Between 2000 and 2022, China has directed $23.7 billion in loan and grant-financed commitments and 279 projects to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. China’s partnership with the DRC centers on financing and securing access to critical minerals—especially copper and cobalt, which are essential for the high-tech industries China is building at home and exporting abroad.

The insights in this profile are derived from AidData’s Global Chinese Development Finance Dataset, Version 3.0, and the sources referenced therein. Additional 2022 data collection is based on a forthcoming dataset version launching later this year.