Tourists gather at the downtown area of Shanghai. [WANG GANG/FOR CHINA DAILY]

Global Times-According to Indian media reports, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said at the Japan-India-Africa Business Forum that "Unlike extractive models of engagement, India believes in capacity-building, skill development, and technology transfer, ensuring that African countries not only benefit from investments but also develop self-sustaining growth ecosystems." Several Indian media outlets have interpreted that the "extractive models" refers to "China's activities in African countries," once again hyping up the false "Chinese debt trap" theory.

Indian media has packaged its own cooperation with Africa as a model of "capacity building," yet it attributes the so-called extractive models to China, exposing its deeply rooted zero-sum game mentality. According to Indian media reports, India has made a significant commitment to Africa's connectivity and infrastructure development by providing more than $12 billion in concessional credit. However, when it comes to China's loans to Africa, Indian media argues that "a dozen poor countries are facing economic instability and may even collapse under the weight of hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign loans," with China being blamed for this loan pressure. This double standard is laughable. 

The claim that China is the "world's biggest government lender" is also baseless. According to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), among Africa's external debt, commercial bonds and multilateral debt account for 66 percent of the total, while China-Africa bilateral debt constitutes only 11 percent. China has never been the main creditor behind African debt.

The "Chinese debt trap" theory has been repeatedly debunked. Rwandan President Paul Kagame once pointed out that China's presence in Africa is different from that of other countries - "I don't think China has forced any country in Africa to take their money to accumulate the kind of debt you may find with some countries." South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also said that he did not believe Chinese investments in Africa were pushing the continent into a "debt trap" but were instead part of a mutually beneficial relationship.

India's criticism of China's investments in Africa is nothing more than a case of sour grapes. India is Africa's fourth-largest trade partner, with two-way trade worth almost $100 billion and growing steadily. Meanwhile, China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for a 15th consecutive year and is also one of the largest sources of investment for the continent. Both China's and India's investments in Africa will make significant contributions to improving the lives of African people. However, some hardline, anti-China voices in India take China's investments in Africa as part of so-called rivalry for leadership over the Global South.

Liu Zongyi, director of the Center for South Asia Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, told the Global Times that when India views cooperation between China and countries in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and even Africa, it brings up terms like "extractive" and "debt trap," using maliciously critical rhetoric in its evaluation of China's partnerships. However, this rhetoric, which deliberately pits China and India's presence in Africa against each other, not only lacks a logical foundation but also ignores the real developmental needs of Africa.

In the face of the global development deficit, China and India, as the two largest developing countries, should demonstrate greater strategic foresight in Africa. Africa is not an arena for major power rivalry, but rather a blue ocean for cooperation and win-win outcomes. Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, believes that if China and India can strengthen communication and coordination in the field of investments in Africa, it would not only be welcomed by African countries but also be beneficial for all parties involved.