Why the Repeated Claims of Chinese Debt Trap Diplomacy is So Damaging to U.S. Foreign Policy

U.S. President Joe Biden’s comment to leaders from the Americas that: “I want to make sure that our closest neighbors know they have a real choice between debt-trap diplomacy and high-quality transparent approaches to infrastructure and to development,” was only a passing moment. 

However, it feeds into the persistent use of the debunked concept by U.S. policymakers. Aimed at sending a message to the Global South about the benefits of working with the U.S. as a development partner, it arguably undermines this mission.

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by Cobus van Staden

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