News Analysis China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was meant to increase the GDP of participating countries. In many countries, however, debt to China has increased, pollution has increased, and the trade deficit with China has increased; while GDP growth, associated with the BRI, has been elusive. A Silk Road to Debt In 2013, Chinese leader Xi Jinping stated that he was initiating the BRI for mutual prosperity and to help developing countries improve their economic condition. However, most of the money these countries received from China was in the form of debt, rather than donations. The ratio on the BRI has been one grant for every 31 loans. Between 2000 and 2017, China financed at least 13,427 projects, totaling $843 billion through more than 300 state-owned entities across 165 countries. Since the BRI began, in 2013, China has funded an average of $50-100 billion per year. The loans are …
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