The Belt and Road Podcast

A Tale of Two Railroads: Financing Chinese-Built Trains in Kenya and Ethiopia - Yunnan Chen

09.30.2019 - By Erik Myxter-iino and Juliet Lu, edited by Taili NiPlay

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In this episode, Erik and Juliet interview Yunnan Chen (PhD candidate at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies) about two Chinese-built railway projects, one in Kenya and one in Ethiopia. The comparison between the two cases provides reflections on how host countries negotiate over debt funding for infrastructural projects, and the logistical and cultural challenges the developers have faced in getting both projects off the ground.

Our discussion draws on Yunnan's recent article in Quartz entitled, "Ethiopia and Kenya are struggling to manage debt for their Chinese-built railways."

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