Study: BRI countries more indebted than reported by China

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has created „hidden debt“ totaling $385 billion for dozens of low- and middle-income countries. In connection to Silk Road projects, many countries’ financial liabilities have been systematically understated for years, leading to rising „hidden debt,“ or undisclosed liabilities that governments may be obligated to pay. This was revealed in a recent study by AidData, a research institute at the College of William & Mary in the US. „We find that Chinese debt burdens are substantially larger than research institutions, credit rating agencies, or intergovernmental organizations with surveillance responsibilities previously understood,“ the study’s authors said.