I just don't understand the Chinese strategy here; even if they want to build infrastructure for influence, why don't they do a good job of at least some projects? That way they could say that not all their projects outside China are debt traps. It's almost like they are not even trying to hide it.
Montenegro, Slovakia, etc. all got financing from Chinese banks to hire Chinese companies and engineers to make their roads, ports, etc. These countries are a part of NATO and the EU and are fairly better off than the tinpot-run dictatorships we see in Africa and Latin America.
Yet, they managed to get into the same trap as the poorer African countries that lack skilled evaluators.
How the hell does that happen?