Prompted by the Georgian Government's recent decision to select a Chinese company for the implementation of the Anaklia Deep Sea Port project, ISET-PI’s recent policy note (July 11, 2024) provides useful insights into China's ascent as the largest bilateral creditor for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), its lending practices and case studies, with that background analyses the risks associated with the Anaklia project and provides recommendations. Here is a summary of the main findings.

China is the largest bilateral creditor to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) presently. China’s lending mainly targets infrastructure, transport, energy, and mining sectors in developing countries that are of strategic importance to the Chinese government. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have observed the most substantial increases in borrowing. Chinese financing to LMICs is facilitated through state entities, offering concessional and non-concessional loans, with a significant portion of lending cloaked in confidentiality.

The recent amendment to Georgia’s tax code, known as the “offshores law,” has sparked significant concern regarding the integrity of Georgia’s financial system. This policy brief examines the implications of this amendment in the context of Georgia’s recent political and regulatory developments, which have raised alarms about the potential risks of money laundering and sanctions evasion.

The policy brief presents a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model designed for Georgia by the ISET Policy Institute to evaluate the impact of potential new Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the USA, India, and South Korea.

In recent years digitalization has continued to reshape global contexts, impacting all aspects of life and business. The pandemic accelerated digital adoption, making it a critical factor for business resilience.