Report to Congress on assistance by the People"s Republic of China to governments and entities in Latin America and Africa

China"s assistance projects in these regions have drawn and attention of international development experts, academics, and policy makers and have raised questions about the amount of foreign assistance China is providing to developing countries. Differing definitions of assistance, the lack of transparency, and the broad array of projects by Chinese companies, however, make it challenging to undertake a thorough assessment. This report examines the various types of activities conducted by PRC government and corporate organizations in Africa and Latin America, discusses the challenges to conducting an assessment of China"s assistance to these regions, and outlines U.S. government efforts to engage the PRC government on development issues and to encourage greater transparency regarding its foreign assistance activities. (Excerpt)