There are those who believe that conditions such as committing to international standards and democracy, even though well-intended, are actually counter-productive — at least during a country's development phase.
It's indeed an open question how beneficial the relationship will be in the long term. But it's not at all guaranteed that it will end up like Portugal. China was a big naval power during the Ming dynasty, but didn't colonize Africa or South-East Asia. One should be careful with projecting western history onto China.
Some high-profile Chinese figures recognize the problem that BRI projects don't always end up benefitting people. For example, Zhang Chun, researcher at the Center for African Studies at Yunnan University, said this:
"There is a lack of an accurate analysis of Africa's benefits from the Belt and Road Initiative and that needs to be remedied"
It's indeed an open question how beneficial the relationship will be in the long term. But it's not at all guaranteed that it will end up like Portugal. China was a big naval power during the Ming dynasty, but didn't colonize Africa or South-East Asia. One should be careful with projecting western history onto China.
Some high-profile Chinese figures recognize the problem that BRI projects don't always end up benefitting people. For example, Zhang Chun, researcher at the Center for African Studies at Yunnan University, said this:
"There is a lack of an accurate analysis of Africa's benefits from the Belt and Road Initiative and that needs to be remedied"
Source: 欧亚系统科学研究会 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Vva1N_LVMBwcfpZcSl57rw