The German Marshall Fund of the United States

  • Our Organization
    • About GMF
      The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) strengthens transatlantic cooperation on regional, national, and global challenges and opportunities in the spirit of the Marshall Plan.

    Transatlantic Offices

    • Washington, DC
    • Ankara
    • Belgrade
    • Berlin
    • Brussels
    • Bucharest
    • Paris
    • Warsaw
    • Alliance for Securing Democracy
  • Our Work
    • Policy
      GMF provides effective ways forward to solving today’s transatlantic policy issues.
    • Leadership
      GMF programs offer rising leaders dynamic opportunities to hone their leadership skills.
    • Civil Society
      GMF supports civil society by fostering democratic initiatives, rule of law, and regional cooperation.
    • Research
      GMF publications examine the challenges facing the transatlantic region today and offer policy recommendations to address these challenges.
    • Perspectives
      Media, blogs, podcasts, video on the issues shaping the transatlantic relationship.
  • Our Events
    • Major Conferences & Forums
      GMF brings together hundreds of policymakers, elected officials, academics, and business leaders from around the world to discuss topics from energy to migration, economics to security, urban growth to diplomacy.
    • Recent & Upcoming Events
      GMF is committed to bringing the policy community together around transatlantic topics. Learn about events in its offices and other locations around the world.
  • Our Experts
  • Stay Informed
Search
Home
  • Our Experts
  • ABOUT US
  • FOUNDING CHAIRMAN
  • EXPERTS
  • LATEST RESEARCH
  • NEWS&EVENTS
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • SUPPORT CHARHAR

The Charhar Institute

  • About Us

    • About Us
    • Founding Chairman
    • Membership
    • Contact Us
    • Careers
    • Support Charhar
  • Regions

    • All Regions
    • America
    • Europe&Middle East
    • Asia
    • Africa&Latin America
    • Indo-Pacific
  • Topics

    • All Topics
    • Public Diplomacy and International Relations
    • Belt & Road Initiative
    • The Korean Peninsula
    • Economic and Trade
    • Communication
    • Law, Culture and Religion
    • Energy, Safety and Peace
  • Experts

  • Publications

    • All Publications
    • Public Dipmacy Quarterly
    • Other books and reports
    • Charhar Public Diplomacy series
    • Charhar Newsletter
    • Charhar International Relations series
    • Introduction to Public Diplomacy
  • News&Events

    • News&Events
    • Public Diplomacy
    • Peace Studies
    • Belt & Road
    • Charhar News
    • Announcement
    • For Media
Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram LinkedIn
ForeignAffairs.com
  • ABOUT US
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Careers
  • FOUNDING CHAIRMAN
  • EXPERTS
  • LATEST RESEARCH
  • NEWS&EVENTS
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • SUPPORT CHARHAR

NEWS&EVENTS

Facing challenges, US' IPEF may make the Asia-Pacific economy more...

June 09, 2022

Behind Biden’s Asia Trip

June 09, 2022

US sinks its claws back into Somalia with an eye on China and Russia

May 23, 2022

The Taiwan Question amid Russia-Ukraine Conflict

May 06, 2022

China’s Oil Deal v.s. the Dollar Mar 28, 2022

March 28, 2022

Biden’s Indo-Pacific Foray

February 26, 2022
More

Energy, Safety and Peace

Sudan's 'military-civilian co-governance' dies halfway

November 03, 2021

Human rights standards shall not be monopolized

October 14, 2021

Law, Culture and Religion

Israel's diplomatic breakthrough in Maghreb faces challenges

December 11, 2020

Meng ruling makes Ottawa new front line between Washington and Beijing

May 29, 2020

Communication

He Wenping: Fake news fails in damaging Sino-African ties

January 31, 2019

Resistance from within the White House

September 10, 2018

Economic and Trade

Challenges for the G20 in overcoming the pandemic

November 26, 2020

Liberalization and non-interference by government will clean up Pakistan'...

July 07, 2020

The Korean Peninsula

Su Hao: Tokyo should give ground to resolve tensions with Seoul over ‘comfo...

June 26, 2019

Swaran Singh: Can next U.S.-DPRK meeting be expected?

June 12, 2019

Belt & Road Initiative

China-Africa unity sees friendship of new era

January 05, 2021

Unchangeable Commitment

February 19, 2020

Public Diplomacy and International Relations

The key to peace between Russia and Ukraine CGTN

March 03, 2022

Biden’s first year marked by lows and challenges

March 03, 2022
More

Introduction to Public Diplomacy

Diplomatic Theory and Practice

June 21, 2018

Introduction to Public Diplomacy 2nd Edition

June 20, 2018

Charhar International Relations series

International Public Product: China and the World at the Midst of Revolut...

June 21, 2018

Power and Wealth: Economic Nationalism and International Relationships und...

June 21, 2018

Charhar Newsletter

Charhar Newsletter

August 16, 2018

Charhar Public Diplomacy series

Winning the Chinese Hearts and Souls

June 20, 2018

City Diplomacy: China’s Practice and Foreign Experience

June 20, 2018

Other books and reports

The impotence of conventional arms control

March 25, 2020

How Did Stalin Fall into the “Thucydides Trap”

February 27, 2020

Public Dipmacy Quarterly

Public Diplomacy Quarterly

August 17, 2018
More

He Wenping: Fake news fails in damaging Sino-African ties

January 31 ,2019

On January 22, news of China canceling Cameroon's debt made it headlines of media outlets around the world, and became a heated-debated topic online. A friend of mine who teaches in a Japanese university contacted me via WeChat asking for my opinion and my inbox was full of E-mails by my African research colleagues overseas.

The reason for the discussion stems from the shocking amount that was being written off. Cameroon owes China as much as 5.2 billion U.S. dollars. The report was first published by the Chinese website of "The Wall Street Journal" and quickly making the rounds.

In order to convince people of the authenticity of the news, the report said that the so-called debt exemption was the major outcome of a meeting on January 18 between Chinese State Council and special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Yang Jiechi and Cameroon's President Paul Biya at the Unity Palace in the capital Yaoundé.

The news immediately triggered concern and even resentment from some Chinese news readers. From their perspective, the figure is unbelievably big and canceling it had happened in such an easy and simple way.


Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (L) meets with Cameroon's President Paul Biya at the Unity Palace in Yaoundé, Cameroon, January 18, 2019. /MOFA Photo

Though China now is the world's second largest economy and the world's biggest foreign exchange reserve holder, all of this is coming from Chinese people's hard work in the past 40 years. China is still a developing country and there are tens of millions of Chinese people still living under the poverty line.

Furthermore, no such arrangement was part of the "Eight initiatives" made during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in September 2018.

The official website of the government of Cameroon and the country's leading newspaper Cameroon Tribune had no coverage of the news that China was erasing Cameroon's debt.

Cameroon Tribune had published several articles titled "Cameroon, China Cooperation Boom", "Cameroon: A Visit to Consolidate Relations" and "Cameroon-China Relations - the Future Is Bright" to cover Chinese State Council Yang Jiechi's visit.

And the country's media reported that following President Biya's visits to China in March and September 2018, bilateral cooperation had become greater and closer.

Yang's visit shows that China pays great attention to further developing its relations with Cameroon.

As for the debt issue, the Cameroon Tribune said: "It is within this framework that the perspectives remain rekindled with high hopes concerning the restructuring of Cameroon's debt owed China in conformity with the plea of President Biya during his last visits to China."

Cameroon's interest-free debt to China, according to sources at the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, is today estimated at 45 billion Central African CFA franc (around 78.4 million U.S. dollars).

A source in the Chinese embassy says the interest-free loan contracted by the government of Cameroon from that of China has been canceled by the Chinese government.


National flags of China and Cameroon. /VCG Photo

Obviously, the truth is that some form of debt had been canceled during Chinese State Council Yang Jiechi's visit, but it's not the entirety of the sum. It is Cameroon's interest-free debt to China, and the amount is 78 million U.S. dollars, rather than the shocking 5.2 billion U.S. dollars.

As this is obviously fake news, why did "The Wall Street Journal" publish the story in such a clumsy way? Did they verify their news sources or did they deliberately choose not to?

The answer has yet to be known. But the article was only posted on the Chinese website of "The Wall Street Journal" and not on their English and French platforms.

Maybe they had the intention to irritate Chinese readers and turn their anger towards the Chinese government, and in this way, China-Africa cooperation might not proceed as smoothly as before. Also, the shockingly big amount of debt said to be canceled might create a Domino Effect that can lure other African countries to the following suit and then eventually putting pressure on China.

Western media have been circulating the so-called "China Debt-Trap" theory lately. If all of a sudden China canceled such a big debt for African countries, what will happen to the debt trap? Of course, they wouldn't slap themselves in the face by publishing such a story.

In short, when going through the news, Chinese readers need to have sharp eyes and a clear mind to separate fake news from the truth.



Copy Editor/Liu Chang

Editor/Kang Sijun



Author: He Wenping is an adjunct senior fellow of the Charhar Institute, researcher of Institute of West-Asian and African Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Source: CGTN, 2019-01-29

Original Link: https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d514f33517a4d32457a6333566d54/index.html

Author

HE Wenping

Adjunct Senior Fellow

Stay Informed

Don't miss our latest dynamic. Sign up to receive emailed news, events, opinion, and publication notifications.

Subscribe

Follow

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube
  • SoundCloud
  • Instagram
Charhar Institute
  • About Us
  • Founding Chairman
  • Experts
  • Latest Research
  • News&Events
  • Publications
  • Support Charhar
  • Careers

 

"The Charhar Institute is committed to promoting progress in China’s foreign policies and the development of international relations in a more orderly manner."
- Dr Han Fangming,Charhar Chairman

CONTACT US

  • Phone:+86 10 68290431
  • Fax:010-80777830
  • Email:secretariat@charhar.org.cn
  • Facebook:The Charhar Institute
  • Twitter:@CharharINST

©2023 Charhar Institute. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy and Terms of Use