Uganda President Yoweri Museveni this week strongly defended his government’s decision to take large Chinese loans, pushing back against his critics by claiming that his government really doesn’t have any other choice but to turn to China:

“The Chinese…are the only ones who have agreed to lend us money to develop the railway in Kenya and in Tanzania, to develop the electricity,” he said. “On the issue of the cost of money, we’re doing it ourselves. But even for the railway, we would have done it ourselves but if there is a loan, then I take advantage of it and then I use my own money to do other things. Now, are we borrowing too much? No.”