Yun Sun: Chinese Debt Fatigue in Africa Opens Opportunities for New Emerging Powers

Vice President of the United Arab Rulerates (UAE) and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (R) sits next to Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni during the opening of the Global Business Forum on Africa, in Dubai on November 1, 2017. Karim SAHIB / AFP

Brookings Institution non-resident fellow Yun Sun writes today that the Chinese debt-led financing model in Africa may be starting to wear thin as a growing number of countries across the continent become increasingly concerned about repaying all those Chinese loans.

“As the frenzy over the large Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure projects in Africa subsides with the existing projects’ loan payments due, African governments have to deal with the sobering financial consequences of [these] projects,” said Sun in a post published on The Brookings website.

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by Eric Olander

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