AidData

AidData at the William & Mary Global Research Institute is thrilled to announce the launch of our new #PowerPlaybook report and dataset on #China's efforts to secure #CriticalMinerals key to the industries of the future ?? Our team of researchers—Brooke Russell Escobar, Dr. Ammar A. Malik, Sheng Zhang, Katherine Walsh, Alexandra Joosse, Brad Parks, Jacqueline Zimmerman, Rory Fedorochko—tracked and analyzed nearly $57 billion of #Chinese investments into #TransitionMinerals in developing countries across the globe. Get the report & data here ?? https://lnkd.in/dpB6hfSm

? Event starts in 20 minutes! It's not too late to register to attend virtually. ?? As the global landscape for development finance shifts, how can #IndoPacific countries bargain for the best deals from development partners? AidData will explore that question in our #PanelDiscussion this morning from 10-11:30 AM. ?? Panelists include the former CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Alice Albright, former state minister of finance of Sri Lanka Shehan Semasinghe, AidData's executive director Brad Parks, and Kobe University professor of economics Kai Kajitani. Axios's chief financial correspondent Felix Salmon will moderate. ?? Register for the Zoom link: https://lnkd.in/eH3EpM5E

The proposed sale of ports in and around the #PanamaCanal from Hong Kong Based CK Hutchison to U.S. investment firm BlackRock has drawn approval from President Donald Trump. A recent AidData blog by Lea Thome reveals that China’s investments into Latin American ports extend far beyond those at the heart of the scrutiny at the Panama Canal Between 2000 and 2021, AidData documented ten port-related activities accounting for $791 million of China’s development finance in Latin America, seen as red dots scaled to the size of Beijing’s investment on the map below. In particular, the #Chancay megaport in #Peru exemplifies Beijing's coordinated strategy to pair transport investments with access to natural resources. Since 2010, Beijing has provided loans worth $16 billion to acquire, develop, and export mineral resources in Peru. The Chancay port—in conjunction with mineral extraction loans—helps Chinese companies not only cement their control over the global #TransitionMineral supply chain, but also enables these resources to be shipped to Chinese buyers on an expedited timeline. Read Lea’s blog:? https://lnkd.in/dBN6zBH6

?? It's not too late to register! ?? AidData is hosting an #event TOMORROW from 10-11:30 AM EST, on how #IndoPacific countries can bargain for better deals from development partners. In-person registration is closed; #RSVP now to attend online: https://lnkd.in/eH3EpM5E

Are you a budding or experienced scholar working to advance the frontier of knowledge on how China uses development finance, public perception, and strategic partnerships to project influence in Latin America? Share your views in a new special issue on this topic hosted by the Sage Journal of Current Chinese Affairs and edited by AidData colleagues Jonathan A. Solis, Narayani Sritharan, PhD, and Ana Horigoshi. Abstracts due June 20, 2025. More info is available in the call for papers here: https://lnkd.in/eix-XeCm #China #LatinAmerica #developmentfinance #publicopinion #research #globaldevelopment #foreignpolicy #competition

In a new piece for AidData, I explore how Angola can leverage its strategic position amidst intensifying U.S.-China competition in Africa. With significant infrastructure investments such as the Lobito Corridor and the new Luanda airport, Angola is becoming a key transit hub for critical minerals and broader regional infrastructure development. Key takeaways: 1) Angola's strategic location positions it as a key player in the U.S.-China rivalry over critical minerals and infrastructure development. The Lobito Corridor and Luanda Airport represent competing U.S. and Chinese infrastructure investments in Angola. 2) While the Lobito Corridor remains a priority for the Trump Administration due to its critical minerals link to U.S. supply chains, broader U.S. involvement in Africa may diminish unless tied directly to American strategic interests. 3) President Louren?o of Angola has pursued economic diversification, reducing oil-backed debt reliance on China, while pivoting to the U.S. for infrastructure investment. In a world where partnerships are starting to become increasingly transactional, Angola must maximize its agency, diversify partnerships, and ensure long-term economic sustainability to navigate shifting geopolitical priorities effectively. For a deeper dive into how Angola can chart its own course in this evolving geopolitical landscape, read the full analysis at AidData: https://go.wm.edu/5qPkZ7

Does landmine clearance decrease conflict and deliver economic and social benefits—even in active conflict zones? More people have been maimed or killed by landmines in #Afghanistan than any other country, but AidData’s report—published in May of 2023 based on data collected between 1992 and 2020 across Afghanistan—went beyond landmines’ potential for direct harm. The report used precise mine clearance coordinates, highlighted in color on the map below, to see the effect of #demining on economic development, changes in land use, and conflict. Afghanistan’s status as a conflict-affected area made traditional on-the-ground data collection difficult, so Princeton University's Christian Baehr and AidData researchers Ariel BenYishay, Rachel Sayers, Kunwar K. Singh, and Madeleine Walker leveraged remote sensing data (coupled with already collected survey data). Their results suggest that landmine clearance is a precursor to #EconomicGrowth, changes in land use, and reductions in subsequent conflict. Nighttime light output, a key indicator of economic development, increased consistently each year after landmine clearance. The multispectral satellite imagery suggests significant increases in built-up land use—like the construction of new housing, infrastructure, and roads—following #demining activity. Finally, they found significant drops in the frequency of conflict events after mine clearance, according to the Uppsala University Conflict Data Program. Read the report:? https://lnkd.in/eEgHCE7t Check out our blog:? https://lnkd.in/eSP9sFJE?

?? You're invited! AidData at the William & Mary Global Research Institute is hosting an #event **next Wednesday** in DC, on "How Can #IndoPacific Countries Bargain for Better Deals with #Development Partners?" ??Panelists include the former CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Alice Albright, former state minister of finance of Sri Lanka Shehan Semasinghe, AidData's executive director Brad Parks, and Kobe University professor of economics Kai Kajitani. Axios's chief financial correspondent Felix Salmon will moderate. ?? Join us online or in-person at the W&M Washington Center on March 19th from 10-11:30 AM EST for what promises to be a lively discussion. ?? For more info and to #RSVP: https://lnkd.in/eH3EpM5E

#Drones offer so much functionality beyond just capturing imagery! We discuss some of these opportunities across the entire #fieldwork cycle in a new paper in BioScience ??.

Nice chart from AidData?showing that when it comes to the developing world the US has been providing aid for health, humanitarian relief and governance reform, whereas China has provided debt financing generally for infrastructure projects. The two approaches were arguably complimentary. And China has neither the capacity nor the motivation to replace US aid flows.