China has suspended debt repayments for 77 developing countries and regions as part of the G-20 debt relief initiative to help impoverished countries weather economic difficulties amid the coronavirus pandemic, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Sunday, reported Caixin.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu announced the measure during a press conference in Beijing, where the State Council, China’s cabinet, released a white paper on the country’s fight against Covid-19 outbreak.
Ma did not offer details, including the beneficiaries, the amount of money involved, or terms of the repayment suspension.
The announcement came after G-20 countries agreed at an April summit to freeze debt service payments until the end of the year for the world’s poorest countries hammered by Covid-19. The measure is also known as the Debt Service Suspension Initiative.