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Paper short abstract

Analyzing Ethiopia’s role in aid dynamics, this paper examines how local actors exercise agency amid donor rivalries. Using interviews and historical data, it compares Cold War shifts with modern Chinese and Turkish aid, highlighting how recipients navigate evolving global development systems.

Paper long abstract

While scholarship on foreign aid often prioritizes donor motivations and rivalries, local recipient agency remains under-researched. This paper addresses this gap through a historicized analysis of how foreign development programs manifest in Ethiopia and how local actors navigate these processes.

Ethiopia serves as a critical case study due to its shifting geopolitical alignment—from its central role in the Global Cold War to its current membership in BRICS. This history provides a unique lens through which to examine local agency amidst both traditional and "new" Cold War dynamics. Recently, China and Türkiye have emerged as pivotal non-Western donors, leveraging Ethiopia’s status as the African Union’s headquarters to deepen political and economic ties. Through massive infrastructure investments and industrial parks, both nations have intensified their aid efforts, with Türkiye and China providing approximately $15.9 billion and $6.2 billion respectively between 2015 and 2021.

Utilizing a qualitative approach, this study draws on elite interviews with Ethiopian officials and Chinese and Turkish aid practitioners, supplemented by policy document analysis. By comparing contemporary non-Western modalities with past Western aid practices, the paper highlights strategic parallels and divergences across eras, ultimately contributing to a more nuanced understanding of recipient agency in international relations.