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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Helen Davidson in Taipei

Poorest 75 nations face ‘tidal wave’ of debt repayments to China in 2025, study warns

Kenya’s standard gauge railway, which connects Mombasa and Nairobi and was built using Chinese financing
Kenya’s standard gauge railway connecting connecting Mombasa and Nairobi was built using Chinese financing. Photograph: Baz Ratner/Reuters

The most vulnerable nations on Earth are facing a “tidal wave” of debt repayments as a Chinese lending boom starts to be called in, a new report has warned.

The analysis, published on Tuesday by Australian foreign policy thinktank the Lowy Institute, said that in 2025 the poorest 75 countries were on the hook for record high debt repayments US$22bn to China. The 75 nations’ debt formed the bulk of the total $35bn calculated by Lowy for 2025.

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