China is essentially acting like a VC fund. They spread money around everywhere... and get a ton of benefits in return. Local autocrats just love China because

China is essentially acting like a VC fund. They spread money around everywhere... and get a ton of benefits in return. Local autocrats just love China because their money doesn't come with strings attached (such as IWF or EU/US aid), they get to spend down a chunk of their massive dollar forex reserves, provide a ton of people from their poor provinces with work (Chinese foreign construction projects usually don't hire local labor!), and build up soft power in the population of the countries where they invest.