China’s island cities: Treasure or trouble for Asia?
Forest City became a lightning rod at growing Chinese influence in Malaysia during elections last year. — Picture by Ben Tan
And in Sri Lanka, Malaysia and the Philippines, increasingly vocal concerns are being raised about the environmental impact of the island cities, a lack of transparency surrounding their funding and the possibility of a Chinese-sprung debt trap. Critics say the initiative comes with a heavy price as it favours Chinese companies and exacerbates debt problems in some countries.In Colombo, two-thirds of the 665-acre artificial island located near a deep-sea container port will be given to the Chinese developer on a 99-year lease.
“Our sewage and garbage disposal systems are cracking at their seams. So how can we support a so-called world-class city?” Senanayake told AFP. The lack of transparency in deals struck between local governments and developers remains a thorny issue on Belt and Road-related projects. The developer, China Communications Construction Co., and its Sri Lankan subsidiary declined to comment.
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