Where next for China鈥檚 Belt and Road?
President Xi Jinping's infrastructure project is 10 years old and it appears the country鈥檚 lending is slowing down. What does this mean for the county's finances?
Xi Jinping announced a massive building project along the 鈥楴ew Silk Road鈥� to very little fanfare in Kazakhstan 10 years ago this month.
Infrastructure including railways, roads and ports have been built in 165 countries to date, as part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Billions of dollars has been lent to countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.
Some are now struggling to afford the payments and China is reducing the amount being loaned.
We look at what this means for Beijing鈥檚 finances and for countries with huge projects underway, but with no means of meeting the repayments.
Presenter: Ed Butler
Producer: Hannah Bewley
Additional reporting: Michael Kaloki
(Picture: Xi Jinping waits for a photo call at the China-Central Asia Summit in Xian, China in May 2023: Credit: Florence Lo/Reuters)
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- Thu 28 Sep 2023 07:32GMT麻豆社 World Service
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