Conference presentation - China's triangular aid cooperation, a promising new trend? - 11 FEB 2016

China as an emerging donor has attracted growing international attention and triggered mixed reactions to its impact on the international aid regime. Interestingly, while sticking to its own modality of foreign aid and emphasizing on the South-South cooperation, China is conduction an increasing number of triangular aid cooperation in partnership with traditional donors and international organizations. This new phenomenon has not received sufficient academic attention and remains poorly understood. Based on the author's recent fieldwork and over one hundred interviews in Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Cambodia, China, Australia and New Zealand on China's triangular aid projects, this research project proposes to analyse the main features of China's triangular cooperation. It argues that global image building due to China's growing attention to its identity as a great power, and China's growing emphasis on learning to improve its aid effectiveness serve as the main motivations for this new type of aid modality. Policy implications on how to engage China on development cooperation will also be provided including focusing on pilots projects, strengthening engagement, identifying areas of natural partnership and starting from less sensitive public welfare projects.