How China's Debt-Trap Diplomacy Works in African Countries: Evidence from Zimbabwe, Cameroon, and Djibouti.

This article examines China's capital expansion in Africa under President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), focusing on how economic cooperation with Zimbabwe, Cameroon, and Djibouti has resulted in a debt trap for these countries. Applying the concept of Structural Power, the study highlights the imbalance between China's abundant material, positional, and ideational goods and the African countries' significant economic and infrastructure needs, which weakens their bargaining positions and increases dependence on Chinese loans. China's strategy involves providing loans exceeding repayment capacities, gaining control over strategic infrastructure, and promoting the use of the Chinese yuan, thereby deepening economic dominance and long-term influence in these nations. The article situates this debt trap as part of China's broader geopolitical and economic ambitions to enhance its global power, contrasting it with past African debt crises linked to Western financial institutions.