A lot of these countries were already struggling three for five years ago, basely because the projects weren't particularly well planned. Then of course, you had e cove 19, the pandemic, which hit economic growth and trade in a lot of those countries and in china. And then on top of that, you've got inflation and the war in ukrane, which have really exasperated those problems for many of those countries. So pakestan was probably the biggest recipient of chinas of belton road loans, but it was already running into trouble as those projects weren't working out quite as they had anticipated. It's now in the midst of an imf balout
After a five-month hiatus, violence has returned to the northern region of Tigray—but that is just one of the conflicts threatening to pull the country to pieces. China’s Belt and Road Initiative has made it a prominent developing-world lender. How will it deal with so many of its loans souring? And our obituaries editor reflects on Issey Miyake’s fashion-for-the-masses philosophy.
For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer