By Ramandeep Bajwa
From the article:
According to the Center for Global Development, a Washington DC-based think-tank tracking BRI, the Maldives is one of the most at-risk countries where BRI projects are being implemented because of debt.
What would come as a relief for India, Maldives President-elect Ibu Solih may put on hold Chinese-funded Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects in the country, reports Economic Times. India has been expressing concern about Beijing's increasing influence in the Indian Ocean region for some time now.
There are speculations that Solih may even cancel some BRI projects, which were the brainchild of outgoing pro-China president Abdullah Yameen, who, according to his critics, allegedly received $1.5 million as election funds from China.
However, the main challenge confronting Solih when he formally takes over as president will be the repayment of loans extended by China for developing different projects in the country.
Maldives is staring at liabilities of $1.4 billion, which is nearly a third of the GDP, mainly due to Yameen's policies.
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