‘China Wants to Lend and Lend,’ but at What Cost to Zambia and the Rest of Africa?

‘China Wants to Lend and Lend,’ but at What Cost to Zambia and the Rest of Africa?
A new $360 million terminal under construction at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka, built by the state-owned China-Jianxi Corporation, with loans from China Exim Bank, Nov. 4, 2018 (Photo by Jonathan W. Rosen).

In this week’s Trend Lines podcast, WPR’s editor-in-chief, Judah Grunstein, and managing editor, Frederick Deknatel, look back on the biggest stories of 2018 and discuss what the new year might have in store. For the Report, Jonathan Rosen talks with WPR’s senior editor, Robbie Corey-Boulet, about his reporting from Zambia, where a backlash to Chinese investment and loans is growing as the country inches toward a debt crisis.

If you like what you hear on Trend Lines and what you’ve read on WPR, you can sign up for our free newsletter to get our uncompromising analysis delivered straight to your inbox. The newsletter offers a free preview article every day of the week, plus three more complimentary articles in our weekly roundup every Friday. Sign up here. Then subscribe.

Listen:

Download: MP3
Subscribe: iTunes | RSS |Spotify

Relevant Articles on WPR:
‘China Must Be Stopped’: Zambia Debates the Threat of ‘Debt-Trap’ Diplomacy
The West Fought Populism to a Standoff in 2018. Can It Hang On in 2019?
Giulio Regeni’s Brutal Murder, Still Unsolved, Is Only One of Many in Sisi’s Egypt
Can the United States Still Promote Democracy in Asia?

Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie.

To send feedback or questions, email us at podcast@worldpoliticsreview.com.