>Tonga is,,, "gone"
Meth, Vanilla and ‘Gulags’: How China Has Overtaken the South Pacific One Island at a Time
Tonga is one of the biggest Chinese debtors in the South Pacific, with its financial reliance dating back to loans taken more than a decade ago to rebuild its capital, Nuku’alofa, after riots.
Tonga has previously got reprieves on the timing of principal repayments, though the debt has remained outstanding. Its total external debt stands at $186 million, with almost two-thirds owed to China, the budget statement shows.
The United States and its Western allies worry that China is using debt to secure influence over strategically located Pacific islands, claims China has repeatedly denied.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/08/29/tonga-china-south-pacific-influence-506370
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pacific-tonga-debt/tonga-asks-china-to-restructure-heavy-debt-load-idUSKCN24O0IF