Today is a public holiday in South Africa – Human Rights Day. There’s a certain irony in spending the day focusing on China’s President Xi Jinping’s visit to Vladimir Putin, knee-deep in a human rights disaster.
What one makes of the Ukraine crisis increasingly maps on where one lives. This is made clear by a remarkable new set of polling data recently published by the European Council on Foreign Relations ...
Country: Zambia
IMF Head Kristalina Georgieva Will Go to Beijing in Bid to Break Debt Relief Impasse With China
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kirstalina Georgieva will travel to China at the end of this week for a visit that will be closely watched by finance ministries throughout the Global South. The primary purpose of Georgieva's trip is to deliver keynote ...
China vs. the Multilateral Development Banks
There was a major breakthrough this week in China's months-long standoff with the World Bank, IMF and other multilateral creditors when Beijing agreed to fully back Sri Lanka's debt restructuring. The move now clears the way for Colombo to secure $2.9 ...
Rays of Hope Following China Settlement in Sri Lanka
China’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring in line with other bilateral creditors is a major step towards securing a rescue package from the International Monetary Fund. However, it’s still unclear how negotiations will proceed, as the country suffers from food and ...
Stand-off Between China and Western Creditors Leading to Unprecedented Delays In Debt Relief for Poor Countries
Just ten years ago, it usually took less than two months for a debt-distressed country to get a sign-off from the International Monetary Fund for emergency financial relief, but that is no longer the case, according to new data compiled by Reuters.
China’s Premier Promises IMF Chief “Constructive” Cooperation on Debt
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told the head of the International Monetary Fund that China is open to participating “in a constructive manner” with debt restructuring efforts. During a call with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, Li said: “China is willing to take ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Xi Bets on Global South in Moscow
China Sticks to Its Position That Its Not to Blame for Delays in Zambia’s Debt Restructuring Process
Any hope China would soften its hardline position on debt restructuring following last weekend's talks among G20 finance ministers was dashed on Monday when Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning restated Beijing's longstanding demand that multilateral creditors also take losses on their loans to developing countries. ...
IMF Head Flatly Rejects China’s Call for Multilateral Development Banks to Take Losses on Loans: “Not Possible”
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva flatly rejected China's demand for multilateral development banks (MDBs) to accept losses or "haircuts" for loans to the world's poorest countries. "Not possible" she bluntly declared in an interview with Bloomberg following this weekend's ...
Another $4 Billion on the Table? The Role of China’s Sinosure in Africa’s Debt Negotiations
By Oyintarelado Moses On February 17, 2023, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) convened a roundtable discussion on sovereign debt restructuring, bringing together creditor and debtor stakeholders involved with ongoing and upcoming debt restructurings. Leading ...
China Sticking to Its Position That Multilateral Banks and Bondholders Must Also Take Losses on Sri Lankan Debt
The Chinese government re-stated on Wednesday that it will not move forward with the Sri Lankan debt restructuring process unless both commercial creditors and multilateral development banks also agree to accept losses on their loans. Ministry officials ...
FT Reporting Error Sparks Widespread Confusion Over Zambia’s Views on China’s Role in Debt Restructuring Process
Botched reporting in a Financial Times article on Zambian debt made clear how nervous China’s push for the World Bank and other multilateral financers to accept losses as part of debt restructuring is making international stakeholders. In its corrected ...