The Review of International Organizations published in September 2023 an analysis titled "Why Hide? Africa's Unreported Debt to China" by Kathleen J. Brown.
Governments intentionally hide debts from international financial institutions to maximize their ability to borrow while avoiding punishment for rising debt burdens. Half of the Chinese loans in Sub-Saharan Africa are missing from sovereign debt records. Using data from Chinese bilateral loans to Sub-Saharan Africa, the author provides evidence that borrower governments intentionally hide debt from international financial institutions to circumvent constraints placed on their external debt.
