The creator of the widely-debunked Chinese “debt trap” meme is at it again with a new litany of breathless warnings about the risks developing countries take on when they borrow money from China.
Indian pundit Brahma Chellaney on Tuesday published a new article on the topic in the normally dependable academic publishing site Project Syndicate. His piece was riddled with inaccuracies. Repeated factual errors aside, Challeney’s writing is important because it buttresses many of the powerful Indian and Western narratives that frame Chinese engagement in the Global South.
It’s also worth noting that Chellaney was among several high-profile Indian commentators who contributed to the false rumor that Xi Jinping had been deposed in a coup.
Chellaney should not be regarded as a serious analyst, even though his ideas get a lot of traction.
SUGGESTED READING:
- Project Syndicate: A Spotlight on Chinese Debt Bondage by Brahma Chellaney
- Third World Quarterly: The myth of ‘debt-trap diplomacy’ and realities of Chinese development finance by Ajit Singh
