Just over a decade ago, deadly riots in the capital of Tonga, Nuku'alofa, destroyed much of the small Pacific nation's central business and government districts.
Out of the rubble, the government hatched a plan to rebuild the city, including constructing a new cruise ship wharf and renovating the Royal Palace — all bankrolled by a new lender, China.
The initial roughly $65 million in Chinese lending now exceeds $115 million — almost one-third of Tonga's annual gross domestic product — as interest mounted and the government took out a second loan for road development across the country.