China's Rail Ambitions: Economic Opportunities or Debt Traps for Southeast Asia?

For a decade, China had taken center stage for its ambitious moves in expanding international railways as deeply as possible into Southeast Asia. Indeed, infrastructure projects like the big rail links across countries such as Laos, Vietnam, and Malaysia were already part of the leading Belt and Road Initiative. But the question of whether these big projects would boost economic prosperity or push those nations deeper into debt traps has grown increasingly questionable.

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