NDB's first China Country Portfolio Evaluation Report records strong cooperation outcomes

The Independent Evaluation Office of the New Development Bank released its first Country Portfolio Evaluation Report for China in Beijing on Wednesday. According to the report, as of the end of 2024, the bank had 27 projects in China with total committed financing of about $8.86 billion and a disbursement rate of 71.6 percent. The overall lending portfolio was rated "successful" across all five core dimensions: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability.

The evaluation highlights strong implementation efficiency of the bank's China portfolio. RMB-denominated loans account for 68.8 percent of the total, ranking first among comparable multilateral development banks; cumulative Panda Bond issuance has reached 55.5 billion yuan. Projects in China focus on key sectors including transport infrastructure, clean energy, and environmental protection, aligning closely with China's national development strategies and its "dual carbon" goals.

The report also notes that there remains room for improvement in the bank's cooperation with China. Some early-stage projects had overly optimistic demand forecasts, while project design and monitoring systems require further upgrading, and the diversification of the bank's financial instruments still has scope to expand. To address these issues, non-lending activities such as knowledge management and sharing, technical assistance, and capacity building can be further strengthened. The report recommends that the bank work jointly with the Chinese government to develop a country partnership strategy for China, to provide overarching guidance for future lending, investment and non-lending activities.

The report was officially unveiled at the "First Country Portfolio Evaluation For China: Results and Knowledge Sharing Seminar", hosted by the bank's evaluation office in Beijing on the same day. The seminar brought together more than 300 participants from Chinese government authorities, the bank, relevant institutions of BRICS and other bank member countries, the private sector, academic institutions, and international development partners. Attendees included senior officials from relevant Chinese government ministries and commissions, as well as members of the bank's Board of Directors and the bank's staff.