In a Mostly Symbolic Move, China Relieves Botswana of Its Interest-Free Debt

Chinese ambassador to Botswana, Zhao Yanbo, announced yesterday on Twitter that he had signed an agreement with Botswana’s finance minister, Thapelo Matsheka, to exempt a portion of the southern African country’s debts so it could allocate more resources to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

https://twitter.com/DrZhaoYanbo/status/1313863165977993216

Although the precise amount of China’s interest-free loans to Botswana was not included in the announcement, these types of loans generally make up a very small portion of China’s loan portfolio.

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by Eric Olander

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