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Shruti said the countries can invest the funding in sectors that can help generate the money needed to pay back the loan.

Vali Golmohammadi, assistant professor at Tarbait Modares University in Iran, said there are geopolitical concerns regarding BRI because China seeks to define the objectives of the initiative based on its own narrow interests.

Xia Liping, professor at Department of Diplomatic Studies at China Foreign Affairs University, claimed China to be a friendly neighbour and strategic partner. “If the BRI was not good for other countries, there wouldn’t be so many countries signing up.”

Aamna Khan, a doctoral candidate at Jilin University from China, said the problems occur because of domestic issues rather than the investment itself.

“Governments should be transparent and keep their national interests in mind,” she opined.