Making Inroads: Chinese Infrastructure Investment in ASEAN and Beyond

Little more than a decade ago, China was a relatively minor actor in global investment and finance. By 2014 it had become the second largest global investor, second only to the United States. Outbound investment has been made possible due to strong backing from the Chinese state and financing from its policy and commercial banks. In recent years, China has promoted the establishment of new financial institutions and initiatives, including the multilateral Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). China has also established investment funds such as the Silk Road Fund to provide further capital for outbound investment. These new institutions focus heavily on infrastructure development, and with support from its One Belt One Road initiative, China is set to expand its role in global infrastructure financing significantly in the coming years.

This publication seeks to increase public awareness of these institutions and initiatives, how they will potentially impact on local communities and the environment, and what environmental and social standards and governance systems they have adopted. It also discusses strategies that civil society groups could deploy to respond to these developments and influence the policies, projects and operations of Chinese-led finance institutions.

Seven chapters of the report include; The Evolving Role of China in Global Finance, The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, The One Belt One Road Initiative, Chinese Investment Funds Operating in the ASEAN Region, China's Policy Banks: Financiers of the Going Out Strategy, Implications for Instrastructure Financing in the ASEAN Region, and The Growth of Chinese Overseas Finance and Investment: Opportunities for Civil Society to Respond.

The research and development of this publication was supported by: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung South East Asia, The McKnight Foundation and Planet Wheeler Foundation.