How China sees the role of the Belt and Road Initiative in the (post) Covid era
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a busy start to the year 2021. His itinerary may tell us how the BRI is being adjusted for new global realities
Debt repayment issues in highly-indebted BRI countries: risks and opportunities in the new year
For at least 10 BRI countries, debt service to China is going to become a major fiscal burden in the coming years. Dr. Christoph Nedopil and Mengdi Yue argue that China needs to make debt relief multipateral, fair and green to be a global standard setter.
What we know about China’s approach to debt relief: Insights from two decades of China-Africa debt restructuring
History shows that China’s approach to debt relief is ad hoc, and asset seizure is highly unlikely.
How will China handle multiple debt repayment crises?
Domestic commentators provide insight into Chinese thinking on the thorny issue
Losing Steam: China’s Overseas Development Finance in Global Energy
Overseas energy finance from China’s policy banks has been declining since 2017 due to a combination of demand and supply constraints. A rebound in 2020 is unlikely.
Railpolitik: the strengths and pitfalls of Chinese-financed African Railways
Ethiopia is tapping into both Chinese and Turkish financing for its railway ambitions. The difference illuminates the pros and cons of China’s model of overseas infrastructure development.
Looking at the Belt and Road through the lens of Marxist geography
The Belt and Road is driven by a capitalist logic recognizable to any large economy
Between the lines: new reports offer a peek into Chinese policy banks
Research teams at Chinese and international institutions collectively shed light on the practices and thinking of CDB and Exim Bank.
Assessing China’s most comprehensive response to the “debt trap”: the Belt and Road ‘Debt Sustainability Framework’
Ma Xinyue argues that debt financing along the Belt and Road is as much a “trap” for debtors as it is for China
Belt and Road insiders: What we think about “greening” the initiative
Interviews with banks and SOE executives shed light on what motivates Chinese players to (not) go green in BRI projects.