With one fifth of the world's population and a rapidly growing economy, China has become a significant political and economic power. to sustain this, China is increasingly engaging with low income countries through aid, trade, investment, diplomacy, migration and environmental processes, albeit in a decentralised and at times contradictory fashion. in turn, this has provided low income countries with an alternative to traditional donors. This In Focus Policy Briefing looks at how China's own development influences its engagement with low income countries, discusses the marked contrast between the OECD countries' approach and China's approach to development and addresses the implications of this for traditional donors, Chinese policymakers and low income country decision-makers.