Why is the US lying saying China "debt trap diplomacy" caused Sri Lanka crisis?

Why is the US lying saying China "debt trap diplomacy" caused Sri Lanka crisis? 美方為何說中國“債務陷阱外交”引發斯里蘭卡危機？

The island nation of Sri Lanka, located near the southeastern point of India and home to some 22 million, is currently in a state of chaos. A roughly three month movement, demanding President Rajapaksa step down over widespread corruption, abuses of power, nepotism and financial mismanagement which has led to record-inflation of nearly 55 percent, came to a head recently when tens of thousands stormed the president’s residence and offices. Rajapaksa escaped the country on a military jet and headed for the Maldives, but has not yet officially resigned despite promising to do so, leading to rising tensions.

Sri Lankans are blaming their government for the current situation, especially the Rajapaksa Dynasty, a family that has controlled the country, and its finances, for nearly two decades. The family were popular for ending the crippling, three-decade-long civil war that enveloped the island after Mahinda Rajapaksa, the elder brother of the current president, took power in 2004, which led many in the country to view the family as war heroes.

Things soon went south, with many suggesting the family had no respect for the rule of law, often making unwise and brash decisions against the advice of professionals, like when the current president decided the country needed to go organic literally overnight, banning the import of chemical fertilizers. This led to massive loses of crops and income.

But you’ve probably heard, especially if you follow Western media, that Sri Lanka’s current issues largely stem from “debt-trap diplomacy,” a propaganda term created by the US to scare developing countries from working with China, and especially China’s hugely successful Belt and Road Initiative which is already partnering with nearly 150 countries to ensure development and shared prosperity. As just one example, China’s Belt and Road Initiative helped to build the first ever high speed railway in Laos, a country that holds the dubious title of “most bombed country in the world” after the US relentlessly dropped 270 million bombs on the country, literally crippling it.

Western media is trying to suggest that China’s lending of money to Sri Lanka has crippled the country’s economy. You won’t be surprised when I tell you that this is absolute bull.

Sri Lanka currently owes around US$50 billion, only 10 percent of which is to China. As illustrated here by DW News, another 10 percent of Sri Lanka’s debt is owned by Japan, 9 percent by the World Bank, 13 percent by the Asian Development Bank, and a whopping 47 percent is market borrowing.

So why would the US want to spread this “debt trap diplomacy” lie? Basically, it comes down to the fact that China is building relationships with nearly 150 countries based on shared development, prosperity and win-win cooperation by funding projects like infrastructure which not only helps those countries domestically, but also connects them to global trade. That Laos railway, for example, connects the south east Asian country by high speed rail to China, and is planned to reach all the way to Thailand. This will be hugely beneficial, especially in terms of tourism dollars. If it weren’t for the current COVID situation, tourists would be streaming into the country via the railway already.