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.
History shows that China’s approach to debt relief is ad hoc, and asset seizure is highly unlikely.
Domestic commentators provide insight into Chinese thinking on the thorny issue
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.
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.
The Belt and Road is driven by a capitalist logic recognizable to any large economy
Research teams at Chinese and international institutions collectively shed light on the practices and thinking of CDB and Exim Bank.
Ma Xinyue argues that debt financing along the Belt and Road is as much a “trap” for debtors as it is for China
Interviews with banks and SOE executives shed light on what motivates Chinese players to (not) go green in BRI projects.
Chinese companies are not just pouring concrete along the Belt and Road. Financing is a big part of China’s overseas involvement.