Hichilema Refutes Western Accusations China Was to Blame for Delays in Zambia’s Debt Restructuring

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema listens during the closing session of the New Global Financial Pact Summit, in Paris on June 23, 2023. Lewis Joly / POOL / AFP

Zambian President Haikinde Hichilema rejected longstanding accusations by Western governments and institutions that China was to blame for how long it took to reach a debt restructuring agreement.

The president told Bloomberg TV after the deal was announced on Friday in Paris that Chinese officials played an instrumental role throughout the entire process and that suggestions to the contrary are inaccurate:

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