WASHINGTON (Reuters) – China, a major creditor, is willing to work on a bilateral basis with low-income countries facing economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the possibility of delaying some debt service payments, a Chinese official told Reuters.
The official said Beijing was still considering a push by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank for China and other official bilateral creditors to immediately suspend debt payments from the poorest countries.
“Developing countries, especially low-income countries, are facing greater challenges. We are willing to maintain communication with relevant countries through bilateral channels,” the official said. “We agree that some countries should not be forced to make payments during the crisis.”
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
