Dependence not debt-trap diplomacy

摘要

Every few years ¡n the West - in the media and ¡n political circles - there is a moral panic about the rise of China. Africa often plays a central role in this: as a supposedly predatory China is counterposed against representations of hapless and powerless African victims. As Deborah Braeutigam notes in her paper, this currently takes the form of the meme of 'debt-trap diplomacy', which is largely unjustified. However, ¡ntensified relations of dependence are being established between China and Africa, and increasing leveis of debt are both a vector and an outcome of this, which in some ¡nstance may result in a debt trap. The construction of a debt trap implies intentionality, but while this may not be the case, development outcomes may include excessive overseas borrowing.