Chinese Finance - Bank Information Center

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CLASII » Chinese Finance

Chinese finance comes to Latin America in two main forms: loans between governments and direct investment. Many Chinese loans are tied to contracting Chinese firms or hiring a percentage of Chinese workers. A large portion of Chinese investments are channeled through the full or partial purchase of national or international firms by Chinese firms, or via partnerships between Chinese firms and firms of other nationalities.

There are no official processes in China or Latin America that permit the public to access complete and updated information about Chinese loans and investments. To date, the most relevant efforts to compile and publish Chinese loans and foreign investment flows to Latin America have come from U.S. institutions.

China-Latin America Finance Database

The Program on China and Latin America from the Inter-American Dialogue (a North American think tank located in Washington, DC) and the Initiative for Global Economic Governance from Boston University maintain a database of verified government-government loans. The database includes information since 2005 and is organized by country, bank, sector, and year.

China-Latin America and the Caribbean OFDI Monitor (Red ALC-China)

China Global Investment Tracker

The American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation (both are non-profit organizations in Washington, DC) maintain a Global Investment Tracker on energy, real estate, advanced technology, and other industries. The database includes transactions that have been disbursed, but does not include monitoring or implementation information. The tracker presents information by region, country, sector, and year, and allows access to a complete database indicating individual transactions by country.

China’s Global Energy Finance Database

Guidelines for foreign investment

The State Council, the National Reform and Development Commission, and the Ministry of Commerce of China are the most important Chinese entities guiding Chinese foreign investment policy. They have established instruments guiding Chinese investors to promote, limit, or prohibit Chinese investment in certain countries and sectors. Furthermore, in 2014 they issued new rules for the approval of Chinese foreign investment.

Measures for the Administration of Approval of Overseas Investment Projects. In January 2014, China made requirements for the approval of foreign investments more flexible, with the objective of speeding up the approval process.
China’s Foreign Investment Industries Guidance
Catalogue. This Catalogue presents a list of industries in which China promotes or restricts the participation of Chinese investors and firms. The Catalogue is issued by the National Reform and Development Committee and the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, and was revised in 2015.
Guide for foreign investment by country. This Guide presents information for more than 100 countries, including Panama, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Mexico, Venezuela, Uruguay, and Chile. The information pertains to sectors of state interest, and lists some specific projects in which Chinese banks and firms could participate. Some cases indicate that Chinese banks and firms would receive support for participating. The Guide is available only in Chinese, and was issued by the Department of Commerce, the National Reform and Development Committee, and the State Council in 2011.
List of Chinese Contractors Qualified to Operate Abroad. The Ministry of Commerce in China maintains a list on their website with basic information on Chinese international contractors, including the name of the firm, registration number, address, areas of operation, and contact information.