蜜芽传媒

Now, did you know China hands out twice as much international development money every year as the US and other major powers?

This according to new evidence, as it shows much of this money is to support what's known as China's Belt and Road initiative, Beijing's world-changing mission to build new trading routes. Few developing countries haven't got involved, despite fears of a debt trap voiced in many cases, particularly in Africa.

AidData is a research lab at William & Mary university in Virginia - they combined through the global financial transactions and public records to uncover China's hidden foreign lending. Newsday heard more from the report's lead researcher, AidData's executive director Dr Brad Parks.

(Photo: A man from Hebei, China tests the purity of cobalt he's buying at the Musompo market on the outskirts of Kolwezi, Congo in 2018. Credit: Sebastian Meyer/Corbis News)