China has trapped many small countries with its debt. Is it a new form of colonialism?
It is really up to media which side to pick, positive or negative.
A very basic concept is that if someone entered into a home mortgage contract, and failed to pay monthly repayment because one’s income status changed, eventually the property being taken by lender for auction. Should one accuse the lender for setting up debt trap?
Infrastructure is an important factor for economic growth. China has risen from its experience that infrastructure for logistics is vital for its rapid economic growth. Look at Vietnam, so many low end manufacturing opportunities from China but failed to capture most of them due to its infrastructure, including roads, rail and ports capabilities. This limits Vietnam from taking more.
Let’s switch to business model. Business loan is another similar concept. When you get load from financial institutes to boost business and end up failed. Do you blame lender for the failure?
Contract has clearly stated all the terms and consequences. Countries were not forced to enter contracts. How can they blame lender for temporary failure?
Besides, what we can see is that many successful stories rather than failure. Media ignore all successful stories and pick on minority examples. That is deliberately shadow cast BRI.
BRI has just started since 2014. Economic improvement is progressive acceleration. The growth is slow in initial stage and less significant. Infrastructure investment is a long term economic strategy for the benefits in future decades.
Why no one mention Africa countries? Is that because successful stories for China not worth mentioning? Those countries become modernized within 2 decades. Spending power increased dramatically. China-Africa trades from 1 billion 2 decades ago be improved to 100 billion now. 10 times improved by decade. All because China’s investment on infrastructures.
2 decades ago, UNICEF showing us Africa like this:
Today’s Africa looks like this:
Is it fair to say that China does a great job and pulled so many African out of hunger and poverty?
Western countries did not invest in African countries because benefits are not foreseeable or rather too far ahead. China does this for helping them out of poverty and become countries with more spending power. One stone kills two birds. “helping others is helping ownself” this is what China believes.
Now, seeing China has done so great in Africa, the US, Russia, Japan have adjusted their attitudes towards Africa, and try to follow the path of China to take benefits from giant African market. How glory is that when China grow fruit trees, other “high moral” countries go and share the fruits?
Now, these countries are rushing in to share fruits and at the same time, never forget to bad mouthing China while enjoying the success from Africa, I hardly comment on their moral standard.
Framed media is toxic, unless you like to be poisoned. There are tons of successful stories out there. No one can guarantee rapid success for investment. When going on a right direction, they will eventually get there.
People don’t get success for just opening a shop and leave it. They have to work on it to make it successful.