Laos Profile of Chinese Development Finance, 2000-2023

This country profile provides a detailed overview of the scale, scope, and composition of Chinese state-directed financing in Laos from 2000 to 2023. It includes granular information on key trends in China’s loan and grant-related official commitments, its lending portfolio, ESG risks in its infrastructure projects, and contractual safeguards adoption and implementation. From 2000 to 2023, China provided 236 grant-financed commitments and directed $21.7 billion via 124 loans issued in Laos. The present-day relationship between China and Laos is characterized by the “Four Goods” (good neighbors, good friends, good comrades, and good partners) as well as close cooperation on trade, infrastructure, and energy—defined by projects such as the Laos-China Railway, land-linking the two countries. 

The insights in this profile are derived from China's Global Loans and Grants Dataset, Version 1.0 and the sources referenced therein.