NPR.

Countries have always lent money to help out their friends.

Sometimes they'd lend to help out other countries for economic reasons, like what benefits

you benefits me.

Sometimes it's out of generosity and often it's full political influence.

And withers was the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, European countries, or the

US itself.

One thing has been true since World War II.

Western democracies dominated international grants and lending.

But over the last decade, China has gone into the game in a big way.

It's now the number one lender to low and middle income countries.

China has built airports, power stations, dams and railroads, and caused a lot of backlash

while doing it.

And these concerns aren't just about the US being rivals of China or even straight-up

xenophobia.

Although there is plenty of that in the debates, there are real differences about the way

China lends money.

This is the indicator from planet money I'm Daryl N. Woods.

And I'm Whelan Wang.

Today on the show, we learn about the Chinese government's lending around the world by

zooming in on one country where all these issues of power and influence and controversy

are smoldering hot.

...