China's Belt & Road Initiative: Exposed as a Debt Trap After 12 Years

Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also known as One Belt, One Road, enters its 12th year under intense scrutiny, with the claim of being a debt trap refuted by compelling data. Developing countries facing financial turbulence are set to hand over a record $35 billion to China this year, with $22 billion sourced from the world's most impoverished nations. This staggering repayment burden has prompted drastic cuts in vital sectors such as healthcare, education, and essential services. Since its launch in 2013, the BRI has been the financial backbone for large-scale infrastructure ventures across three continents: Asia, Africa, and…