1978年中國實行改革開放后,同其他發(fā)展中國家的經(jīng)濟合作由過去單純提供援助發(fā)展為多種形式的互利合作。中國根據(jù)國情適度調(diào)整了對外援助的規(guī)模、布局、結(jié)構(gòu)和領(lǐng)域,進一步加強對最不發(fā)達國家的援助,更加注重提高對外援助項目的經(jīng)濟效益和長遠效果,援助方式更為靈活。為進一步鞏固已建成生產(chǎn)性援助項目成果,中國同部分受援國開展了代管經(jīng)營、租賃經(jīng)營和合資經(jīng)營等多種形式的技術(shù)和管理合作。一些已建成援外生產(chǎn)性項目通過采取上述合作模式,在改善企業(yè)經(jīng)營管理和提高生產(chǎn)水平等方面,取得了比傳統(tǒng)技術(shù)合作更為顯著的成效。經(jīng)過調(diào)整鞏固,中國對外援助走上了更加適合中國國情和受援國實際需求的發(fā)展道路。
20世紀90年代,中國在加快從計劃經(jīng)濟體制向社會主義市場經(jīng)濟體制轉(zhuǎn)變的過程中,開始對對外援助進行一系列改革,重點是推動援助資金來源和方式的多樣化。1993年,中國政府利用發(fā)展中國家已償還的部分無息貸款資金設(shè)立援外合資合作項目基金。該基金主要用于支持中國中小企業(yè)與受援國企業(yè)在生產(chǎn)和經(jīng)營領(lǐng)域開展合資合作。1995年,中國開始通過中國進出口銀行向發(fā)展中國家提供具有政府援助性質(zhì)的中長期低息優(yōu)惠貸款,有效擴大了援外資金來源。與此同時,中國更加重視支持受援國能力建設(shè),不斷擴大援外技術(shù)培訓(xùn)規(guī)模,受援國官員來華培訓(xùn)逐漸成為援外人力資源開發(fā)合作的重要內(nèi)容。2000年,中非合作論壇成立,成為新形勢下中國與非洲友好國家開展集體對話的重要平臺和務(wù)實合作的有效機制。通過這一階段的改革,中國對外援助的發(fā)展道路進一步拓寬,效果更加顯著。
After the adoption of the policies of reform and opening up in 1978, China’s economic cooperation with other developing countries extended from economic aid to multi-form and mutually-beneficial cooperation. China adjusted the scale, arrangement, structure and sectors of its foreign aid in accordance with its actual conditions. It strengthened its foreign assistance to the least developed countries, paid more attention to the economic and long-term effects of aid projects, and provided aid in more diversified and flexible ways. To consolidate the achievements of existing productive projects, China conducted multi-form technical and managerial cooperation with recipient countries, such as managing aid projects on behalf of recipient countries, lease management and joint ventures. After adopting the aforesaid cooperation models, some already-completed productive projects accomplished more than traditional technical co-operation in improving enterprise management and production level. Through adjustment and consolidation, China’s foreign aid embarked on a development road which suits better to China’s actual conditions and the needs of recipient countries.
In the 1990s, in the course of the shift from the planned economy to the socialist market economy, China took a series of measures to reform its foreign aid mechanism, focusing on diversifying the sources and means of funding. In 1993, the Chinese government set up the Foreign Aid Fund for Joint Ventures and Cooperative Projects with parts of the interest-free loans repaid to China by developing countries. The fund was mainly used to support Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises to build joint ventures or conduct cooperation with the recipient countries in the production and operation spheres. In 1995, China, via the Export-Import Bank of China, began to provide medium- and long-term low-interest loans to other developing countries, effectively expanding funding sources of its foreign aid. Meanwhile, it attached greater importance to supporting the capacity building of recipient countries, and kept enlarging the scale of technical training. Officials from recipient countries receiving training in China became an important part in the cooperation of human resources development between China and those countries. In 2000, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was initiated, and it became an important platform for dialogue between China and friendly African countries and an effective mechanism for pragmatic cooperation in the new circumstances. Through reforms in this period, China further ex-panded its foreign aid with more notable effects.