China’s government-owned nationalist tabloid Global Times has hit back at comments by Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi (photo) that Japan will help developing countries out of China’s ‘debt traps.’
GT called the debt trap allegation “an insult to developing countries,” and said: “the so-called “debt trap” is nothing but a lie fabricated by Western countries to smear and disrupt a deepening economic and trade relationship between China and developing countries.”
Hayashi was speaking at a session on Sunday that laid the groundwork for the upcoming Tokyo International Conference on African Development, Japan’s regular meeting with African countries.
GT alleged that the comments were “fully wrapped up by [Japan’s] anxiety of losing overseas projects” and complained that opportunities for China-Japan cooperation in the Global South were being ruined by Tokyo’s “zero-sum mindset.”
SUGGESTED READING:
- Global Times: Japan’s attempt to slander China-Africa cooperation absurd, futile by Wang Yi
- Kyodo News: Japan to help African countries escape China’s “debt trap”
