It's a role the Middle Empire would have done well. Despite himself, the first creditor of African countries finds himself at the center of the process of negotiating the debts of the continent, of which several countries find themselves strangled by the global economic crisis. Generally rather discreet on the subject, Beijing has indicated that it is participating in the G20 agreement announced in April, which provides for a suspension of payment of reimbursements for the poorest countries until the end of the year. An extension to 2021 is under discussion. But this postponement - deemed insufficient by African countries - represents only a small part of the continent's total debt, estimated at 365 billion dollars, a third of which is held by China alone.
Read also: Cancel the debt of African states: the idea divides creditors
According to Johns Hopkins University, between 2000 and 2017, 143 billion dollars went from China to the mainland to build roads, bridges, stadiums and hospitals under the banner of the "new silk roads", by lending massively according to reports.
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