West Asia and North Africa prudent with Chinese debt-trap

West Asian and North African regions need to tread cautiously when lending Chinese contracts, as by expanding its regional footprints, China is pursuing its policy of gradually laying down the debt trap and turning these regions into its economic colonies.

Many Chinese loans are dubious in nature, as many of them also have political clauses attached to them. By utilising its technical expertise, China is becoming a key technology provider in several of these countries, reported Global Strat View. WANA nations are keen to collaborate with China in infrastructure, weapons procurement, oil exploration, space research, and sustainable development. Notably, the popularity of Chinese language studies also appears to have increased in WANA countries. 

There have been multiple developments in the recent past that suggest enhanced cooperation between China and WANA countries. 

On September 19, foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New York. The meeting occurred on the sidelines of the 77th UN General Assembly.

Bilateral cooperation between Riyadh and Beijing appears to be on the upswing. Saudi Arabia is set to host the first China-Arab Summit in December 2022. China Power Construction Corporation of China, China Power International Holdings Company, and Shanghai Electric are in line to bid for the Amiral Cogeneration Power Project in Jubail. 

Meanwhile, the implementation of a systematic plan to teach the Chinese language to Saudi learners is also under discussion. Through the Talal Abu Ghazaleh Confucius Institute in Jordan, Beijing offers similar courses and workshops in Chinese language, culture, and traditional Chinese medicine.