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Belt and Road

Belt and Road debt trap spreads to Central Asia

China exploits rift between US and Russia to court Ukraine

Beijing funded this China-Turkmenistan pipeline for natural gas. Turkmenistan may have trouble repaying its debts to China as gas exports drop sharply.   © Reuters

MOSCOW -- As Beijing bankrolls projects in Central Asia to promote its Belt and Road Initiative, countries in the region are at risk of granting China valuable concessions to ease their heavy debt burdens.

Turkmenistan faces an economic crisis, with reports leaking from the country of long queues snaking outside of grocery stores, one-month waits for flour and road closures by housewives demanding food.

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