Belt and Road Initiative boosts China's clout overseas but concerns like debt-trap diplomacy remain

China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) may have boosted the country’s global political clout, but doubts remain over the viability of the massive project once hailed by Chinese President Xi Jinping as the “project of the century”. The country’s own economic growth is losing steam and the COVID-19 pandemic's fallout remains. Lending has slumped and projects are stalled. Several partner countries are deep in debt, reflecting cracks in the sustainability of Beijing's lending practices. Associate Professor Chong Ja Ian from the National University of Singapore and former US under secretary of commerce for international trade Frank Lavin share more with CNA’s Asia First.

Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub

Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories:
Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram
WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp

Follow us:
CNA: https://cna.asia
CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com
Facebook: Facebook: channelnewsasia
Instagram: Instagram: channelnewsasia
Twitter: Twitter: channelnewsasia
TikTok: TikTok: channelnewsasia

• #news_politics
• #cna
• #channel_newsasia