Commentary Initially proclaimed as the economic marvel that would create massive global infrastructure and growth, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has encountered significant problems in recent years that have created doubt over its impact. The BRI was launched by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in 2013 when he pushed for a “Silk Road Economic Belt,”…
The Belt and Road Initiative Hits a Pothole
Economist: African Countries Could Become Mired More Deeply as Beijing Waives Loans
Beijing announced its plan to waive 23 interest-free loans for 17 African countries that had matured at the end of 2021. China’s citizens reacted with unprecedented scolds online, while an analyst warned of the trap behind the apparent largesse of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). On Aug. 18, Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered Beijing’s decision…
US and G-7 Development Initiative: Good Idea but Maybe Too Little, Too Late
Commentary The Global Infrastructure and Investment with $600 billion in funding is a good idea—but comes 10 years later and pales in comparison to the $1 trillion estimated for China’s Belt and Road Initiative. On June 26, the White House issued the “Memorandum on the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment” (GII) to fund development…
China’s Ambitions in Africa to Displace the US on the Global Stage—With Tiffany Meier
China’s influence in Africa is displacing the global position of the United States. This long game to subvert and dominate an entire continent is decades in the making. Now, that effort is paying off with heavy debt for the nations in Africa—and helping China become even more powerful at the United Nations. All the while,…
Debt Trap: Beijing’s Role in Sri Lanka’s Crisis
Sri Lanka is in the grip of its worst economic and financial crisis since independence in 1948, plunging the country into chaos. In addition to the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war that have severely damaged the world’s second-largest tea exporter and major tourist destination, the country is also mired in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s…
Cuba Signs ‘Belt and Road’ Agreement With China
Cuba and China have signed a cooperation plan to push forward construction projects under Beijing’s controversial overseas infrastructure program, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has saddled many participating countries with heavy debt loads. The Chinese Embassy in Cuba announced the agreement on its website on Dec. 26, saying that the deal was inked…
China to Reap Benefits and Laos Falls into Debt Trap as China-Laos Railway Begins Service
China’s Belt and Road Initiative has resulted in debt traps for a number of countries. Laos may have just joined the list with the opening of the China-Laos railway on Dec. 3. Countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia are already struggling to repay China’s Belt and Road loans, while Laos, a landlocked country, still has…
EU Launches New Program to Fight Red China’s ‘Debt Trap Diplomacy’
The European Union announced on Sept. 15 that it is introducing a new investment program called “Global Gateway” to rival China’s controversial development program, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has left many poor nations with heavy debt loads. In her state of the Union speech, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said…
China Will Corrupt the Taliban and Take What It Needs From Afghanistan, Expert Says
The communist regime in China will use bribery and corruption to get what it needs from Afghanistan, as Beijing continues to foster its ties with the Taliban, a China expert said during an EpochTV webinar on Sept. 8. Grant Newsham, a retired U.S. Marine Colonel and a senior fellow at the Washington-based nonprofit Center for…
China Will Bribe the Taliban and Take What It Needs From Afghanistan, Expert Says
The communist regime in China will use bribery and corruption to get what it needs from Afghanistan, as Beijing continues to foster its ties with the Taliban, a China expert said during an EpochTV webinar on Sept. 8. Grant Newsham, a retired U.S. Marine Colonel and a senior fellow at the Washington-based nonprofit Center for…
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