China’s Overseas Lending: From Boom to Bust
Sebastian Horn
Professor of Economics at the University of Hamburg
Kiel Institute for the World Economy
Within just two decades, China has become the leading official creditor of the Global South. Through the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese banks have lent hundreds of billions of dollars to countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Many of the recipients are now facing debt distress and are engaged in debt restructuring negotiations. This lecture explores the lending practices of Chinese state banks and their impact on sovereign debt markets in developing countries as well as the global financial architecture at large.
Cosponsored with the Liu Institute for Asia & Asian Studies.
Sebastian Horn is a professor of economics at the University of Hamburg and a director at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, specializing in international finance, sovereign debt, and financial crises. He joined the Kiel Institute in 2024 to lead the research group on the international financial system and holds a PhD in economics from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.