Guinean PM rejects "debt trap" accusations against China

Guinean Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah has rejected "debt trap" accusations against China, stressing that some African countries should look inward for the root cause, namely their own deficiencies in governance rather than blaming external cooperation partners.

He spoke on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, which concluded Thursday in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian.

In an exclusive interview with China Central Television (CCTV) earlier this week, Bah noted that sometimes the problem lies in African countries' governance, which has not been robust enough to enable them to fully capitalize on cooperation opportunities. That, he said, is precisely why some nations have struggled with development.

He stressed that if a country is not a reliable partner in the first place, then no matter how genuine the external partner's goodwill may be, the outcome may not live up to expectations.

"Let me be more explicit. The most critical question is whether African governments, especially our own, have the judgment and wisdom to find the best ways to turn development opportunities into real benefits for our people and our country. Conversely, if we harbor the illusion that we can achieve development simply by cooperating with China, or that others will bring development opportunities directly to our doorstep while we bear no responsibility and make no necessary efforts of our own, then such thinking is clearly unrealistic and not in our best interests," he said.

"Ultimately, the primary responsibility must still lie with us African countries. We have to rely on our own governance systems and capacities. Those that have not properly seized these opportunities are likely to put the blame on debt, or on one reason or another," he said.

Guinea was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to establish diplomatic ties with China. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in October 1959, cooperation between the two sides has progressed steadily, yielding mutually beneficial fruitful results. In 2025, bilateral trade reached 18.23 billion U.S. dollars, up 57.5 percent year on year.

Guinean PM rejects "debt trap" accusations against China

A pair of protected common kestrels have turned an abandoned magpie nest on a telecom tower in Beijing's suburban Changping District into an unlikely nursery, offering a rare glimpse of birds of prey raising chicks in a built-up area.

The kestrels, a wild animal species under the second-class state protection in China, settled on the 30-meter-high tower, drawing birdwatchers and residents in the past few days.

Footage filmed by birdwatchers earlier showed an adult kestrel returning from a hunt and landing near the nest, where several fluffy chicks stretched their necks and flapped their wings as they waited to be fed.

The chicks have since shed their gray down and developed brown streaks and markings. They are now practicing flying.

"I basically come here every day now. It is very interesting to watch kestrels raise their chicks. The male bird is responsible for going out to hunt. Upon returning, he hands the food to the female, who feeds the chicks," said birdwatcher Si Shoujun.

"These are the two parent birds. The one on the left is the male, and the one on this side is the female. Today, I captured both of them in the same frame because the male returned to the nest without food. When the female saw that he came back with nothing, she tried to force him to go out and look for food, because there are still three chicks in the nest waiting for feed," Si explained.

Common kestrels are a relatively common raptor species in Beijing and are often seen in green spaces where vegetation is abundant. But nesting and raising chicks in the city's built-up areas is less common.

Beijing is now home to 531 recorded bird species, according to local authorities.

Protected kestrels turn Beijing telecom tower into unlikely nursery