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AidData study tracks rising Chinese lending to wealthier

states

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Financing focuses on infrastructure, minerals, high-tech

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US received more than $200 billion for 2,500 projects

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EU received $161 billion, Britain $60 billion

(Adds foreign ministry comment in paragraph 5)

HONG KONG, Nov 18 (Reuters) - The United States is the

biggest recipient of China's lending activities globally,

according to a study which tracked Beijing's credit activities

and found it is increasingly lending to higher-income countries

over developing countries.

The report, published on Tuesday by AidData, a research lab

at U.S. university William & Mary, said China's lending and

grant giving totalled $2.2 trillion across 200 countries in

every region of the world from 2000 to 2023.

China has long been seen as a creditor to developing

countries through its Belt and Road initiative, but is shifting

toward lending to advanced economies - backing strategic

infrastructure and high-tech supply chains in areas such as

semiconductors, artificial intelligence and clean energy.

Beijing's portfolio size is two-to-four times larger than

previous estimates suggest, AidData said, adding that China

remains the world's largest official creditor.

In response to a request for comment on the report, China's

Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its overseas investment and

financing "adhered to international practices, market principles

and the principle of debt sustainability."

CHINESE ENTITIES ACTIVE ACROSS THE U.S.

More than three-quarters of China's overseas lending

operations now support projects and activities in

upper-middle-income countries and high-income countries.

"Much of the lending to wealthy countries is focused on

critical infrastructure, critical minerals and the acquisition

of high-tech assets like semiconductor companies," said lead

author Brad Parks, AidData's executive director.

The United States topped the list for official sector credit

from China, receiving more than $200 billion for nearly 2,500

projects and activities, the report said.

Chinese state-owned entities are "active in every corner and

sector of the U.S.", bankrolling the construction of LNG

projects in Texas and Louisiana, data centres in Northern

Virginia, terminals at New York's John F. Kennedy International

Airport and Los Angeles International Airport, the Matterhorn

Express Natural Gas pipeline and the Dakota Access oil pipeline,

AidData said.

Beijing has financed the acquisition of high-tech companies,

while Chinese state-owned creditors have provided credit

facilities for many Fortune 500 companies including Amazon,

AT&T ( T ), Verizon, Tesla, General Motors ( GM ), Ford, Boeing ( BA ) and Disney ( DIS ),

the report said.

The share of lending to low and lower-middle income

countries fell to 12% in 2023 from 88% in 2000. Beijing has also

cut lending for infrastructure projects in the "Global South",

under its Belt and Road Initiative.

At the same time it has ramped up the share supporting

middle-income and high-income countries to 76% in 2023 from 24%

in 2000. The United Kingdom for instance received $60 billion,

while the European Union got $161 billion.