Easter Bombings in Sri Lanka; Belt Road Forum 2019 in Beijing

Who carried out the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka? Why? Is it a domestic group with outside help? What is India's role in it? Why did the attackers use India as their training base? Did ISIS inspire the attackers? With Muslims facing revenge attacks, what will happen to inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations in the island nation at the Southern tip of India? Will there be a renewed civil war? How will it affect South India and the South Asia region?

Tamil Population in India and Sri Lanka


What was the agenda of the Belt and Road Forum 2019 attended by 37 world leaders including Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Beijing? What did President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Imran Khan and other world leaders say at this summit? How will this affect the next phase of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of BRI (Belt Road Initiative)? How will concerns ranging from debt sustainability and inclusive growth to environmental impact be addressed?

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at BRF 2019 in Beijing

Viewpoint From Overseas host Faraz Darvesh discusses these questions with Misbah Azam and Riaz Haq (www.riazhaq.com)


https://youtu.be/O6pTJXIf7g0





Related Links:

Haq's Musings

South Asia Investor Review

Indian Agent Kulbhushan Jadhav Operated From Iran

What Can Pakistan Learn From Sri Lanka?

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: Myths and Facts

Chabahar vs Gwadar Ports


Riaz Haq's YouTube Channel

PakAlumni Social Network

Comments

Riaz Haq said…
Worries over Pakistan debt to China are overstated: Imran Khan’s adviser

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/worries-over-pakistan-debt-to-china-are-overstated-imran-khans-adviser/article27015135.ece

Of the $100 bn of debt, only $11 bn is owed to China: Husain
The so-called debt overhang for Pakistan from its participation in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), part of the ambitious Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, is overstated, according to a top official of Pakistan.

“The propaganda is not based on facts but on perception,” said Ishrat Husain, adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan on institutional austerity and a federal Minister. He was addressing a seminar at the 52nd ADB Annual Meeting of Asian Development Bank on the topic: “Is debt sustainability a cause for concern?”

Money brought in as FDI
Reeling out numbers, Mr. Husain said that of the $45 billion total package from China under CPEC in 2015, as much as $35 billion was for financing power projects in the power-deficit country. “The Chinese government got no extra concessions, the money was brought in as FDI and commercial loans were taken by the Chinese companies. There is no loan obligation on Pakistan,” said Mr. Husain. About $6 billion was in the form a government-to-government loan at 2% interest rate, he said.

Of the total national debt of $100 billion, only $11 billion is owed to China, according to him. Pakistan’s annual investment programme, including both public and private, added up to $50 billion and the CPEC was only a small part of it, he pointed out.


“The Chinese have been very understanding and cooperative. CPEC has put us back on track and we’re determined to put our house in order,” Mr. Husain said.

BRI a natural idea
Speaking in the same panel, ADB president and chairperson Takehiko Nakao said that the BRI, of which CPEC is a part, is a very natural idea to expand the connection between East Asia, Central Asia, Europe and Africa.

“There are merits over investment but at the same time we have to be careful... we must find good projects with good returns even if the lending is to the government. Otherwise it will cause concern over repayment,” he said.
May 2, 2019 at 4:06 PM
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