China dithers on Africa debt forgiveness over 'complex' loans
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 25, 2019. PHOTO | PSCU
The Chinese government is developing cold feet at continued requests to forgive debt owed by African countries in what could place new pressure on the continent in the Covid-19 pandemic season.
This week, Zambian President Edgar Lungu directly asked his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for some “debt relief and cancellation” to save the economy, in a phone call, according to a dispatch issued from Lusaka.
