Mali Profile of Chinese Development Finance, 2000-2023
Date Published
May 28, 2026
Authors
Lea Thome, Brooke Escobar
Publisher
Citation
Thome, L. and Escobar, B. (2026). Mali: Chinese Development Finance, 2000-2023. Williamsburg, VA: AidData at William & Mary.
Abstract
This country profile provides a detailed overview of the scale, scope, and composition of Chinese state-directed financing in Mali from 2000 to 2023. It includes granular information on key trends in China’s loan and grant-financed commitments, its lending portfolio, ESG risks in its infrastructure projects, and contractual safeguards adoption and implementation. From 2000 to 2023, China provided 137 grant-related official commitments and directed $1.2 billion via 15 loans issued in Mali. Unlike most low-income countries that receive large volumes of non-concessional loans for big-ticket infrastructure, China’s development finance portfolio in Mali is relatively modest and anchored in aid flows from its two largest financiers: China Eximbank and the Ministry of Commerce.
The insights in this profile are derived from China's Global Loans and Grants Dataset, Version 1.0 and the sources referenced therein.
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