The Chinese embassy in Kathmandu denies any encroachment. Note: Here are the questions used in this report, along with their responses, as well as its methodology. At the end of 2021, of the 98 countries for whom data was available, Pakistan ($27.4 billion of external debt to China), Angola (22.0 billion), Ethiopia (7.4 billion), Kenya (7.4 billion) and Sri Lanka (7.2 billion) held the biggest debts to China. . It is estimated that 12 percent of Africa industrial production, or $500 billion annuallynearly. Fears that China could launch an invasion of Taiwan have dominated headlines for months, fuelled by a series of incendiary interventions by senior officials in Beijing. However, international maritime law stipulates that a submerged rock outside of a nations territorial sea generally measured as 12 nautical miles cannot be claimed as territory by any nation. But there are no cases, among the hundreds of loan arrangements studied by AidData and some other researchers, of Chinese state-owned lenders actually seizing a major asset in the event of a loan default. The two countries have stood side by side for many decades. They don't need or want preachers to tell them how to behave, to explain democracy to them. Which topics are covered by the "Chart of the Day"? "Only by facilitating much, much better education and opportunities for our young can we realize the hope of an 'Indian century,'" it said. on two sectors: "Media and Technology", updated "Chinese FDI flows to Africa have exceeded those from the U.S. since 2013, as U.S. FDI flows have generally been declining since 2010," according to the China Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. They want to eat and they want infrastructure. It's not sci-fi any more! Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. Russia and China both seek to convert soft and hard power investments into political influence, strategic access, and military advantage. But prominent voices in China accused the West of using it as another excuse to "bad mouth" Beijing as the latest episode in the long-running struggle with the U.S. and its allies. "[Those new initiatives] will not have enough real money to address the scale of infrastructure needs in the developing world. Just 24 percent of the countries' bilateral debt comes from the rest of the world that year. Taken together, young people in a few countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Sweden and the United Kingdom are both more positive toward China and less positive toward the U.S. than older adults. The U.S. is generally seen more positively than China. But even then, about 90% of the $100 billion (in todays dollars) spent in Europe comprised grants and aid. It argues that such confidentiality is common practice for international loan contracts. People in Greece and Italy, for example, see both the U.S. and China less favorably today than in 2021. The new intelligence suggests around 20,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the . Copyright 2023 Gatestone Institute. China has been a major player in Africa politically and economically and secured long term contracts to guarantee supply of metals, minerals and hydrocarbons to meet the needs of its industry for the coming decades. Over the past two decades, China has become a major global lender, with outstanding claims now exceeding more than 5% of global GDP. Malaysias foreign ministry said at the time that the manoeuvre was a serious threat to national sovereignty. In 2015, Chinese state media claimed that an attack on one of its remote checkpoints in Inner Mongolia was due to a provincial border dispute. China Merchants, founded as a patriotic enterprise in 1872 to attract Chinese capital to take on Western shipping lines, manages 36 ports in 18 countries. Africa's challenges, opportunities, and security interests are inseparable from our own. Our competitors clearly see Africa's rich potential. "The loan that China's Eximbank made to cover part of the equity really showcases the urgency of the Chinese state to push through the project," explains Wanjing Kelly Chen, research assistant professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. National Security Threat: Another Latin American Country Chooses China, China Winning Technological War: Biden Administration Allowing It, China Crosses "Red Line" Advancing Russia's War Effort. Surveys were conducted face to face in Hungary, Poland and Israel and online in Australia. Video, 00:02:36, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. This has led to its dispute with several countries, such as Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, India, South Korea, North Korea, Singapore, Brunei, Nepal, Bhutan, Laos, Mongolia and Myanmar. This approach is rarely seen in loans issued by western lenders. Everyone who took part in the U.S. survey is a member of the Centers American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. A median of 66% across 19 countries say China's influence on the world stage is getting stronger, while just 32% say the same about the U.S. Despite the large size of Chinas overseas lending boom, no official data exists on the resulting debt flows and stocks. "I'm sceptical that Western initiatives will make much of a dent in the Chinese programme," says David Dollar, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the former US Treasury representative in China. In Africa, which lags all other regions of the world in the availability of paved roads and electricity, that deficit is set to grow without a massive influx of hard infrastructure investment At current rates, the minimum deficit of the road network will be 60,000km by 2040 and an additional 30,000km gap for the rail network.". Singapore: Even though they entered a . In the 1950s and 1960s, when it lent money to other Communist states, China accounted for a small share of world GDP, so the lending had little or no impact on the pattern of global capital flows. Overview and forecasts on trending topics, Industry and market insights and forecasts, Key figures and rankings about companies and products, Consumer and brand insights and preferences in various industries, Detailed information about political and social topics, All key figures about countries and regions, Market forecast and expert KPIs for 600+ segments in 150+ countries, Insights on consumer attitudes and behavior worldwide, Business information on 70m+ public and private companies, Detailed information for 35,000+ online stores and marketplaces. The white population are being dealt a bad hand in South Africa.Very few are expressing any concern about them even less doing anything about it. The editors reserve the right not to publish comments containing: incitement to violence, profanity, or broad-brush slurring of any race, ethnic group or religion. January 02, 2022 06:30 AM. China is lending differently: instead of financing projects by granting or loaning money from one state to another, almost all the money it's handing out is in the form of state banking loans. China's lending for construction projects around the world has proved controversial, Sri Lankans protest against a proposed Chinese company stake in Hambantota port (2017), Interest rates on Chinese loans are higher than those from some other lenders. VideoOn board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, I didnt think make-up was made for black girls, Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes. Beijing "alleges that it owns large parts of Laos on . As has been shown in the Ukraine, Russia cannot successfully project military power outside its own borders. The population is important, so is talent, he told a daily briefing this week. To find out more, please review our Privacy and Cookies Policy. In most countries, people on the ideological right and left feel similarly about China. Its population is younger but more of them are unemployed or in extreme poverty. Be it Ladakh or South China Sea, China seems to have been making unfounded claims in different parts of the world for a long time. CORRECTION (Aug. 29, 2022): Due to an editing error, a previous version of the text mischaracterized favorable views of the U.S. in South Korea. Its loans to lower and middle-income countries have tripled over the past decade, reaching $170bn . "If a borrower fails to repay its debt," says Brad Parks, Executive Director of AidData, "China can simply debit funds from [this] account without having to collect on bad debt through a judicial process.". China's economic and diplomatic engagements allow it to buttress autocracies and change international norms in a patient effort to claim their second continent." In 12 of the 18 countries surveyed, including the U.S., those under age 30 have more favorable views of China than those ages 50 and older, with the largest difference in Japan. sports and entertainment. Over the last decade, Beijing has adopted an increasingly assertive posture towards Malaysias territory in the South China Sea, CNA, a US nonprofit research and analysis organisation, said. As China's economy becomes more integrated, these regional differences are taking . After the Ukraine conflict has been stabilized and Putin has been forced out of power (eliminated) Russia will be reduced to a second rate power at best (with nuclear weapons) with only its petroleum products to sell to Europe. Concerns that China could order a strike on the self-ruling island are so high that the US has passed a $100m support contract aimed at boosting the islands missile defence systems to maintain political stability and military balance in the region, Al Jazeera said. Taken individually, these "nations" would account for eight of the 20 most populous countries in the world. The West is making the same mistake with them as it did with the "Arab Spring". But while many more continue to have confidence in Biden, positive views of his leadership have taken a downward turn in the past year, falling by double digits in nearly every country surveyed. One such case was Sri Lanka - also among Chinas biggest debtors - which in 2022 was the first Asian country in two decades to default on its debt. Well over 100 countries worldwide had instituted either a full or partial lockdown by the end of March 2020 . They aren't just geopolitical rivals; the nuclear-armed neighbors are locked in a dispute that has seen large troop build-ups along their mountainous, 2,000-mile-plus border, and clashes including melees with clubs, sticks and stones. A point to note about the Belt Road initiative by China is the debt trap it is leading nations into. If a debt payment is missed, the Chinese lender can immediately withdraw the cash waiting in the account. Now it's desperately trying to arrest a falling birthrate that means that as in many Western countries a shrinking young population will struggle to support a growing number of retirees. One of Laos' few sources of profit, the proceeds of its potash mines, were used to back the massive loan. Such loans don't show up in official accounts of government debt. China has become a big lender to poorer countries, and there's been criticism of its approach. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. What matters to China is consumer and investor confidence, "so it is not hard to see why Chinese officials are pushing back on the argument that a population decline spells economic decline," said Dimitar Gueorguiev, an associate professor who teaches Chinese politics at Syracuse University. In June 2021, in an extremely belated attempt to counter China's Belt and Road Initiative, the Biden administration together with the G7 launched a new global infrastructure initiative, the Build Back Better World. In September, Radio Free Asia reported that residents of Myanmars northern Shan state had destroyed a fence built by Chinese authorities, claiming it encroaches on their countrys territory. From 2020 to 2021, trade between Africa and China reportedly increased by 35% . It particularly takes issue with the building airstrips and hangars, as well as stationing anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems in the Spratly Islands, Deutsche Welle said. The Socotra Rock, which lies 4.6 metres below the surface of the Yellow Sea, is the subject of a territorial dispute between South Korea and China. China has illegally occupied a 38,000 sq km of India's land in Aksai Chin. current data from the United States and around the This way nearly all adults have a chance of selection. Instead, its four focus areas are climate, health and health security, digital technology, and gender equity and equality. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main According to a Biden administration fact-sheet about the initiative: "President Biden and G7 partners agreed to launch the bold new global infrastructure initiative Build Back Better World (B3W), a values-driven, high-standard, and transparent infrastructure partnership led by major democracies to help narrow the $40+ trillion infrastructure need in the developing world "B3W will be global in scope, from Latin America and the Caribbean to Africa to the Indo-Pacific. Across the surveyed countries, a median of 32% describe U.S. influence as getting stronger, while 37% say it is staying the same and 27% say it is getting weaker. Almost all of this lending is official, coming from the government and state-controlled entities. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Thanks in part to slapdash colonial cartography, the boundary between India and China is undefined,The Economist said. It was heaven on earth. Explore how China's claims over the South China Sea have antagonized competing countries and track the latest . Does Statista also create infographics in a customized design? 2023 Gatestone Institute. In addition, many Chinese loans are backed by collateral, meaning that debt repayments are secured by revenues, such as those coming from commodity exports. Not too long ago China received foreign aid, but now the tables have turned. The two countries are sparring over the Scarborough Reef and the Spratly Islands. "Our competitors clearly see Africa's rich potential. please visit our agency website, Your contact to the Infographics Newsroom, Find your information in our database containing over 20,000 reports. Other official entities, such as the World Bank, typically lend at concessional, below-market interest rates, and longer maturities. But a fear of war lingers due to North Koreas increasing nuclear capabilities. For individual content and infographics in your Corporate Design, PM Modi took a dig at China by saying that the era of expansionism is over. In total, the Chinese state and its subsidiaries have lent about $1.5 trillion in direct loans and trade credits to more than 150 countries around the globe. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. Why Don't Americans Trust the Biden Administration on Iran? In the long run these Belt and Road debt traps created by the China CCP will backfire on China because the African nations will default on them just like they default on IMF and WB loans. Manila is facing a deadlock in a dispute it cannot resolve alone, the International Crisis Groupwarned. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Read about our approach to external linking. The Statista "Chart of the Day" currently focuses In many countries, younger people tend to feel more positively about China than older people. China and Japan have repeatedly clashed over a group of uninhabited islands called the Senkaku Islands in Tokyo, the Diaoyu Islands in Beijing and theTiaoyutai Islands in Taiwan. At the time, the wall was often framed as an attempt by China to keep dissidents from fleeing the country, The Diplomat said. Jan 01, 2019 News. "They say: 'We can't get our hands on this data internally'.". But this does not comprehend the severity of the situation Africa finds itself. This recent increase in the incidence of sovereign debt restructurings of Chinese debt may have a benign interpretation, but given the slower growth and lower commodity prices of recent years, it may well be a sign of brewing liquidity and solvency problems in numerous developing countries. That's what partly stagnated the economy of neighboring Japan, despite it already being a high-income country. At a G7 meeting in June, the US and its allies announced the G7 adopts spending plan to rival China's influence, which promises to fund global infrastructure projects that are financially and environmentally sustainable. And by comparison, the US is spending about $37bn in any given year to support global development activities," says Brad Parks. Laos has a 313-mile border with China that runs from the tripoint with Myanmar in the west to the tripoint with Vietnam in the east. Analysis of the port project by UK-based think tank Chatham House has questioned whether the "debt trap" narrative strictly applies, given that the deal was driven by local political motivations, and that China never took formal ownership of the port. Another South China Sea dispute. A twisting railway running between China and the neighbouring country of Laos is often touted as a prime example of China's off-the-books lending. "America cannot ignore Africa. This Pew Research Center analysis focuses on public opinion of the United States and China in 19 countries in North America, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region. Following an unsuccessful uprising in 1959, Tibets spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled to India, where he set up a government in exile. China was able to do so by lending those countries massive amounts of money they can never repay. All rights reserved. Video, 00:02:36What is China's One Belt, One Road? The prominent countries with whom China is involved in severe disputes apart from India are Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillipines and Japan. CHINA is "colonising" smaller countries by lending them massive amounts of money they can never repay, it's been claimed. Beijing began raising the question of sovereignty over the islands in the the 1970s when evidence of oil reserves in the regionsurfaced. 2023 BBC. "Over the last two decades, and especially under General Secretary Xi's leadership since 2012, Beijing has launched new initiatives to transform Africa into a testing ground for the export of its governance system of state-led economic growth under one-party, authoritarian rule. But that is rejected by China, which accuses some in the West of promoting this narrative to tarnish its image. For instance, in Greece, 60% of those on the right have a favorable view of the U.S., compared with only 22% of those on the left. And 3) Forecasters of global economic activity are missing an important swing factor influencing aggregate global demand. ", "Is China being smart?" Between 2007 and 2020, China invested $23 billion in infrastructure projects in Africa, according to the Center for Global Development, a US think tank. Gatestone also reserves the right to edit comments for length, clarity and grammar, or to conform to these guidelines. The clashes were the first to result in fatalities in the border area in at least 45 years. In order to keep the BRI on track, researchers say, Beijing will have no choice but to address borrowers' concerns. Few tend to describe Chinas influence as staying the same (median of 20%) or getting weaker (12%). Countries can be difficult borrowers, Gelpern explains, and it's not practical to expect them to hand over a physical asset like a port if they're unable to pay their debts. This website uses cookies to provide you with better services. restructured and largely forgiven after the turn of the millennium, Our infographics team prepares current information in a clear and understandable format, Relevant facts covering media, economy, e-commerce, and FMCG topics, Use our newsletter overview to manage the topics that you have subscribed to. Much of this money is linked to Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious Belt and Road strategy. Last month Voice of America reported that Beijing had begun construction of villages and settlements along its Himalayan borders. Africans will continue to move westward and northward by the millions. A dozen of these countries owe debt of at least 20% of their nominal GDP to China (Djibouti, Tonga, Maldives, the Republic of the Congo, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Niger, Laos, Zambia, Samoa, Vanuatu, and Mongolia). A powerhouse in global trade, China has more shipping ports at. "The U.S. and Japan have smaller populations, but it doesnt mean theyre not strong powers. Read the "Chung Kuo: Middle Earth" series by David Wingrove. Outside of Singapore and Malaysia, people in every nation surveyed have more confidence in Biden than in Xi and in Poland and Sweden, the difference is greater than 60 percentage points. The area overlaps Chinas expansive nine-dash line territorial claim covering much of the sea. The Paris Club used to hold the majority of low-income countries debt before it was restructured and largely forgiven after the turn of the millennium for qualifying, developing countries. G7 adopts spending plan to rival China's influence, AI chatbots 'may soon be more intelligent than us', Russia troop deaths hit 20,000 in five months - US, BP profits of 4bn in three months spark criticism, The 17 most eye-catching looks at the Met Gala, The burden of being cricket legend Tendulkar's son, 'My wife and six children joined Kenya starvation cult', On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry.