A recent study by the Centre for Public Integrity (CPI) in Mozambique claiming the African country has fallen into a ‘debt trap’ due to its high indebtness to China, has now been rebutted by the Chinese ambassador and an academic.
Speaking to State-owned Global Times newspaper, Wang Hejun, Chinese Ambassador to Mozambique, said that in recent years, “China and Mozambique have adhered to a set of principles and been pioneers in accelerating bilateral financing cooperation.”
“So far, we have achieved a number of early gains in the fields of infrastructure, production capacity, investment and trade, which have brought tangible benefits to both sides,” Wang said.
“We need to acknowledge the recent development of Mozambique’s financing cooperation with China, and its contribution to improving infrastructure and improving people’s livelihoods, while enhancing its sustainable development capabilities,” Wang elaborated.
The increase in Mozambique’s debt to China, he said, is a manifestation of the in-depth bilateral cooperation, which has strengthened Mozambique’s capacity for sustainable development, which is why “the concept of a so-called debt trap is completely untenable”.
The top priority for Mozambique’s development is to improve infrastructure conditions and promote natural resource development. The country needs to transform innate development advantages into real economic strengths, accelerating industrialization and agricultural modernization, and ultimately achieving sustainable development, Wang said.
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