Architectural export from China's design institutes

In her 2011 book The Dragon’s Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa, Deborah Brautigam investigated China’s past and current aid activities in Africa, arguing that China’s engagement with the continent was a practical investment and a promise of mutual benefit. Brautigam’s argument was supported by a thorough and authoritative account of Chinese activities in fields such as agriculture, infrastructure, telecommunications, and industry, but she paid scant attention to architecture. As one of the most significant aspects of China’s aid to less-developed countries, architectural exports have epitomized this long-term, sophisticated commitment. From the 1950s to the present day, more than 1,000 projects have been designed and constructed by state-owned design institutes and companies in over 100 Asian, African, and Latin American countries, including railways, stations, congress and assembly halls, theaters, stadiums, gymnasiums, schools, hospitals, and government buildings.