BBC Chinese recently reported that, based on a few studies and on academic research, it seems the hometowns of many African leaders received more Chinese aid than other places. For example, the last time that then Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi visited Sierra Leone, he visited Yoni, a small village deeply hidden in the jungle, with a grand school-building plan. Why? It turns out Yoni is the hometown of President Koroma of Sierra Leone. Studies showed that, among 2000 Chinese aid projects in 50 African countries, presidential hometowns received the largest portion of the money. Even the hometowns of the spouses of these leaders received more aid. It was very hard to find proof of corruption in these projects and China insisted on not attaching any “political conditions” to aid. However, the studies found China’s aid usually had more conditions than the West.
Source: BBC Chinese, October 6, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/press-review-41527260