China’s BRI: Development or Debt?

China’s BRI: Development or Debt?

Author: BBC World Service October 13, 2023 Duration: 48:59

It has been a decade since Chinese President Xi Jinping's launched the Belt and Road Initiative, an ambitious plan to connect Asia with Africa and Europe through a series of land and sea networks via investments in local infrastructure. But ten years on has it been - as some claim - a debt trap for some developing economies, a road to nowhere? Or has the sweeping infrastructure project - which has funded trains, roads and ports in many countries - successfully expanded global trade links and helped the economic development of countries in Africa and Asia?

Shaun Ley is joined by Eyck Freymann, economic historian and China specialist, currently a Hoover Fellow at Stanford University; Niva Yau, political scientist from Hong Kong and a non-resident fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub; Kerry Brown, professor of Chinese Studies and director of the Lau China Institute at King's College, London.

Also featuring: Pakistan Senator Afnan Khan, Pakistan Muslim League, Victor Gao of the Beijing based Centre for China and Globalisation, a think tank with links to the governing Chinese Communist Party and Nicola Procaccini, Member of the European Parliament from the Fratelli d'Italia party

(Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping waves to children upon arrival at Islamabad airport in Islamabad, 20 April, 2015. Credit: Pakistan Presidency Press Information Department /Getty Images)

Producer: Rumella Dasgupta and Ellen Otzen


Each week, The Real Story from the BBC World Service moves beyond the headlines to examine a single, pressing issue shaping our world. Instead of rapid-fire updates, this podcast dedicates its time to deep, thoughtful conversation. You’ll hear directly from the people involved-policymakers, analysts, journalists, and those directly affected-as they unpack the complexities of a major event or trend. The discussions are rigorous and nuanced, focusing on the underlying forces, historical context, and potential consequences that simpler reports often miss. It’s a space for genuine debate where differing perspectives collide, providing a clearer picture of why a story matters. For anyone seeking to understand the deeper narratives behind the news, this podcast offers essential context and insight, transforming a familiar topic into a richer, more complete understanding. Tune in for a thorough analysis that challenges assumptions and connects the dots on global affairs.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Real Story
Podcast Episodes
Bonus: Evan Gershkovich - a year since my friend was jailed in Russia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:27
The Wall Street Journal reporter, who is the first US journalist charged with spying in Russia since the Cold War, has now been imprisoned for a year. His detention has been repeatedly extended and he is yet to face tria…
Is the future of journalism in crisis? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:55
Over the past year thousands of journalists have lost their jobs as mass media news organisations struggle to make ends meet. Ad revenue is down, many publishers are struggling to gain subscribers, and social media has r…
Bonus: Sam Bankman-Fried's multibillion dollar FTX fraud [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:39
A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast.Sam Bankman-Fried was the golden boy of cryptocurrency. He was dubbed the king and saviour of the industry. But this week he will be sentenced to possibly decades in prison f…
Bonus: The curse of the world's fastest growing economy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:15
A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast.When Guyana discovered huge offshore oil reserves in 2015, it transformed the prospects of a country which had a been an economic and political backwater. But, as one of the…
Bonus: Insight on Islamic State Group + Miami stops the party [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:04
A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast.On this episode, we’re covering two very different stories. After the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack on a concert hall in Moscow, we’re revisiting…
How can Boeing win back trust? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:46
The plane maker’s safety record is in the spotlight after a series of incidents. In January an unused door blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines shortly after take-off. An initial report from the US Nat…
Should we be afraid of TikTok? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:17
The US House of Representatives has passed a landmark bill that could see TikTok effectively banned. It would give the social media giant's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, six months to sell its controlling stake or t…
Can Haiti break free from its history? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:21
The Haitian government declared a 72-hour state of emergency on Sunday. It follows the storming at the weekend by gangs of two prisons, with some 3,700 inmates escaping. The gang leaders want the resignation of Prime Min…
What's fuelling the war in Sudan? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:52
At the Munich Security Conference in February a senior UN official described the war in Sudan as “not a forgotten crisis, but a wholly ignored crisis”. And yet the impact of 10 months of fighting is huge - nearly eight m…