How China gains leverage over developing countries through secret debt contracts

Even though China is the largest official creditor in the world, many of the contracts it makes with the governments of developing countries are secret.

"It’s a big deal because there is a lot going on in these contracts. The basic principle is these are governments making commitments on both sides of the ledger … and their citizens have a right to understand," researcher Scott Morris of the Center for Global Development told Fox News. "What is striking, frankly, about the work we’ve done is the degree to which it has been secret." The countries on the other ends of these contracts include the Philippines, Cameroon, Serbia and Argentina.