本文試圖從北京和台北經濟發展經驗的角度，探討海峽兩岸對外經濟援助的形成背景及其內容與特色。這些經援的特殊內容，不但左右了受援國政府對台北和北京的選擇，而且也影響了經援的地理分佈。非洲地區由於經濟發展較落後，因此較歡迎北京以自力更生為主的經援特色。東南亞和中南美洲地區由於經濟發展的程度較高，故普遍歡迎台北所提供具中小企業發展特色的經援。就理論上而言，此亦進一步解釋了兩岸經援的地理區域分佈模式。

This article attempts to explore the momentum of bilateral aid transaction from a recipient's perspective. Why are Taipei's aid recipients mostly concentrated in Latin America and Southeast Asia， while Beijing's clients are mainly clustered in Africa? The variable of economic development needs to be examined in order to explain the pattern of aid distribution. The disparity of economic development in Latin America and Africa has largely contributed to the aggregation of Taipei and Beijing's aid recipients in these two regions. Furthermore， the different level of economic development across the Strait is also useful to explain why aid recipients select either Taipei or Beijing as their own donor.