PoliticsBreaking the ‘Debt-Trap Diplomacy’ Myth, Forging the BRI’s Golden Future

The article argues that after a decade, the Belt and Road Initiative has evolved from an infrastructure-focused plan into a high-quality cooperation framework spanning livelihoods, institutional coordination, green development, digital transformation and multilateral governance. Citing research across nearly 200 economies, it says BRI participation has generally eased sovereign debt pressure and corruption risks, while portraying the “debt-trap diplomacy” narrative as a geopolitical construct detached from project outcomes.

Belt and Road Initiativedebt-trap diplomacyChina foreign policy

CCGTN★★★☆☆2026-08-17 06:43Original