China’s grand Belt and Road gambit in Africa is collapsing under its own weight: new Chinese infrastructure loans to the continent have plunged by more than 50 percent in the past year, even as African nations now remit more capital back to Beijing than they receive.

Beijing overpromised and underdelivered. Ambitious railways, ports, and highways touted as engines of prosperity have become white elephants—unfinished, underused, or so debt-laden that host governments are forced to divert scarce revenues to service Chinese banks.

Africa’s backlash is unmistakable. Once eager to embrace China’s “debt-for-influence” playbook, several governments have begun renegotiating terms or canceling projects outright. Zambia, Djibouti, and Kenya are publicly demanding transparency and relief. Their message: Beijing’s slash-and-grave approach won’t build sustainable growth.

China’s own credit crunch compounds the problem. The export of loan capital is drying up as Beijing contends with a real estate implosion, a shrinking workforce, and mounting domestic defaults. In effect, China is squeezing every last cent from Africa to bolster its own flailing economy.

The collapse of Belt and Road in Africa has far-reaching consequences for global power. As Beijing retreats, a vacuum opens for democracies to step in with genuine, transparent partnerships. The United States and Europe must seize this moment to offer African nations market-based financing, infrastructure expertise, and anti-corruption safeguards.

Republicans in Congress should champion bold legislation: authorize $10 billion in new U.S. infrastructure loans for sub-Saharan Africa, condition aid on rigorous procurement standards, and expand trade incentives that reward political and economic reform. It’s time to outcompete China not with empty slogans, but with real commitments that respect Africa’s sovereignty and deliver tangible results.

The era of Chinese debt traps in Africa is ending. Forward-thinking nations will recognize that sustainable development rests on transparency, accountability, and private-sector dynamism—not on the crumbling megaprojects of a declining superpower. America can—and must—fill the gap.