Pay your debt with monkeys!

[stompix]

Sounds completely unrealistic? Yes, it does!
Is it actually real? Yes, it is!
Can even be applied at country level? Definitely!

Sri Lanka planning to send 1,00,000 toque macaque monkeys to China

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka is considering exporting up to 100,000 endangered monkeys to China, the agriculture minister said Wednesday, raising concerns among conservationists.

The toque macaque is endemic to Sri Lanka and common on the island but is classed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. Sri Lanka bans almost all live animal exports and the proposed sale comes as it faces its worst-ever economic crisis. No financial details were made available.
"They want the monkeys for over 1,000 zoos they have across China," Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told AFP.
"I have appointed a committee to study the request and see how we can do this."

Of course, there are a few questions about it and darker aspects of this:
- I don't know how a species that numbers over 1 million can be considered endangered, but let's leave it like that
- even if they have 1000 zoos that means 100 monkeys of the same species for each zoo and that is just not real
- what they are going to do for real with them, and most hint at labs testing, which stops being funny  
- how much of the debt will be really erased for this?

But nevertheless, Sri Lanka is in so much debt that it needs either cash or a way to pay out its debts to China so, probably for the first time in human history monkeys will be used en masse to pay for a portion of that debt, giving a whole new meaning to the term "monkey business".
At $4000 per monkey (google sources) that would make about $400 000 000 (in theory, not including costs), around 5% of the 7 billion they have in debt with China.

So, do you feel like you could show up at your bank and hand them two or three monkeys to cover your mortgage?

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[Plaguedeath]

Sri Lanka doesn't have any choice because they're don't have anything left except their monkeys, so China will ask anything they want.

I thought monkey was one of endangered animal, it's ridiculous why this trade is legal considering there's no clear usage what China will do with those monkeys.

China will keep demanding what Sri Lanka have in order to pay their debt, the worst case Sri Lanka will sell their country.

[Bounty _BOX]

Sri Lanka doesn't have any choice because they're don't have anything left except their monkeys, so China will ask anything they want.

I thought monkey was one of endangered animal, it's ridiculous why this trade is legal considering there's no clear usage what China will do with those monkeys.

China will keep demanding what Sri Lanka have in order to pay their debt, the worst case Sri Lanka will sell their country.

China is a country where almost all kinds of animals are eaten. So I think the Chinese government will buy monkeys from Sri Lanka and feed everyone .Sri Lanka has more monkeys, so they will give monkeys to China.

[Zlantann]

So, do you feel like you could show up at your bank and hand them two or three monkeys to cover your mortgage?

Hahaha!!!!!! I don't have monkeys, maybe they can accept some local birds around my compound.
Sometimes when people celebrate that the Chinese Yuen will replace the dollar as the global exchange currency, I just feel they don't know Beijing. Chinese give loans with very harsh conditions and they are heartless when they want to collect back their loans. Defaulting on Chinese loans can have severe consequences such as loss of the territorial integrity of defaulting nations. China is a higher version of the lender in Williams Shakespeare's play Merchant of Vernice called Shylock.

My country's just denied that they have defaulted on the payment of a loan from China after a local newspaper reported it. I don't think we have any animal that has a population of 10,000. Maybe China might consider accepting humans because we are overpopulated

[Dr.Bitcoin_Strange]

We want to know why they want so many monkeys -- whether it is for meat, medical research or some other purpose," the foundation's Jagath Gunawardana told reporters in Colombo.

Although that article is not complete because China has not said if they want to use those animals for food or research purposes, just as Bounty_Box has said, the Chinese eat a lot of animals.

Monkeys are considered pests in Sri Lanka because they destroy crops and raid villages in search of food, and sometimes attack people.

Wow, more realistic, as you said, @OP. Sri Lanka may consider monkeys to be endangered animals, because they raid communities searching for food, act as pests that destroy crops, and even attack humans. If China has agreed to take up the offer of accepting the monkey as repayment for Sri Lanka's loan, then let them get even more monkeys and other animals that China would also want to take.

[MainIbem]

So, do you feel like you could show up at your bank and hand them two or three monkeys to cover your mortgage?

This depends on the country that have so much values for animals, i don't think this will be possible in my country because they won't accept monkey rather than landed properties.
But my question is, when China were loaning out such amount of money to Sri Lanka why didn't they asked for collateral before releasing such huge amount of money to them? Seems they had no option to accept whatever Sri Lanka offer to pay back to them.

[Latviand]

Sri Lanka doesn't have any choice because they're don't have anything left except their monkeys, so China will ask anything they want.

I thought monkey was one of endangered animal, it's ridiculous why this trade is legal considering there's no clear usage what China will do with those monkeys.

China will keep demanding what Sri Lanka have in order to pay their debt, the worst case Sri Lanka will sell their country.

They do have a choice but it won't be good for those in power, the people who are at the top in Sri Lanka should be removed because they're corrupt and they've sold some of their lands to China already by being part of the Belt and Road Initiative. Not to mention, those monkeys will probably become an invasive species in China unless they plan to keep it in zoo or eat them.

[Hispo]

I do not know about you or what you may think about this situation, but I personally find this to be very serious, environmentally questionable and frankly: disgusting.

I know that people of that country can feel desperate to get rid of some of their debt, but this is not the way to do it. One thing is to  export raw materials and minerals but a completely different thing is to send that huge quantity of animals to a foreign country, where they will be likely experiment on or ever cooked (I doubt zoos will take that many monkeys and the Sri Lanka won't even care about their well being after they get paid).

Do those monkeys have any blame of the poor economical choices of the former leaders of a country?  
Pathetic.

We are not talking about chickens or cows that were specifically raised to get people fed, this is wild life.

[Nwada001]

This is such a funny way of settling debt, but this is also, in some sense, telling us how mean and to what level China can reach just to take back their debt. 

Before China requested for monkeys from them, they checked within their surroundings, and monkey is the only thing they can attribute value to in that entire country, so they just have to go for it. A country like Sri Lanka will take any offer given to them, especially on something that's mostly common in their locality. 

But my question is, when China were loaning out such amount of money to Sri Lanka why didn't they asked for collateral before releasing such huge amount of money to them? Seems they had no option to accept whatever Sri Lanka offer to pay back to them.

Every loan has a requirement to be met; some loans just require a mutual agreement between two countries; no collateral is required sometimes. Before China gave out such an amount to Sri Lanka, they had a mutual agreement or something of interest from Sri Lanka. If they don't see anything reasonable or something they can achieve from them, they won't even think of giving out that loan. Something about their target might fail them, and then they will have to go for anything available in order not to be completely on the losing side.

[DrBeer]

.....

But nevertheless, Sri Lanka is in so much debt that it needs either cash or a way to pay out its debts to China so, probably for the first time in human history monkeys will be used en masse to pay for a portion of that debt, giving a whole new meaning to the term "monkey business".
At $4000 per monkey (google sources) that would make about $400 000 000 (in theory, not including costs), around 5% of the 7 billion they have in debt with China.

So, do you feel like you could show up at your bank and hand them two or three monkeys to cover your mortgage?

If I lay aside the dubious idea of paying debts with monkeys, the main question is how Sri Lanka got into such a "Chinese financial trap". I know the history of this "project". I highly recommend reading to everyone else - about how China essentially enslaves neighboring countries, destroys and makes their economies dependent! The scheme is extremely simple - somehow (from corruption to simple deceit), China "invests" in some projects in the victim country. But he invests very cleverly.
1. It's a loan
2. All project documentation is developed by Chinese specialists. Including calculation of economic indicators, including ROI.
3. Implementation - Chinese companies and a significant part of the materials
4. The project is launched into work, but oh, it turns out that it cannot enter the ROI. Nothing bothers you yet?

And the ending is "beautiful": the project goes bankrupt. The victim country is in debt to China. The object itself is sold to China for a small percentage of its real value.

Now understand? And China has done a lot of such projects around the world, especially in its immediate regions.

[lovesmayfamilis]

There are only 18 zoos in China, and of course, many monkeys won't fit in them. I read several sources and the versions all come down to the fact that monkeys are needed for experiments, after COVID-19 this no longer seems surprising.
In addition, one can think about the relationship between China and the United States, as well as accusations in the development of biological weapons.

[entebah]

There are only 18 zoos in China, and of course, many monkeys won't fit in them. I read several sources and the versions all come down to the fact that monkeys are needed for experiments, after COVID-19 this no longer seems surprising.
In addition, one can think about the relationship between China and the United States, as well as accusations in the development of biological weapons.

where did you read that they only have 18 Zoos in China?
because I try to search about this and I found this website saying"In 2021, the number of parks and zoos in China amounted to 22,062.", even this article says that China has 1000 Zoos in their country

[Lorence.xD]

Sri Lanka doesn't have any choice because they're don't have anything left except their monkeys, so China will ask anything they want.

I thought monkey was one of endangered animal, it's ridiculous why this trade is legal considering there's no clear usage what China will do with those monkeys.

China will keep demanding what Sri Lanka have in order to pay their debt, the worst case Sri Lanka will sell their country.

That's the sad truth, imagine you lack of resources that even animals were used in transactions. It's uncomfortable to think that China agreed to accept monkeys as payment to them. Back then, animals were really used in payments in transactions in my country, like they will sell their cow just to have money for their house. But to think that number of monkeys as a payment of debt would never be a good idea for me. Hope they could get some resources and to avoid selling their independency to China because if they won't it might cause war.

[philipma1957]

Sounds completely unrealistic? Yes, it does!
Is it actually real? Yes, it is!
Can even be applied at country level? Definitely!

Sri Lanka planning to send 1,00,000 toque macaque monkeys to China

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka is considering exporting up to 100,000 endangered monkeys to China, the agriculture minister said Wednesday, raising concerns among conservationists.

The toque macaque is endemic to Sri Lanka and common on the island but is classed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. Sri Lanka bans almost all live animal exports and the proposed sale comes as it faces its worst-ever economic crisis. No financial details were made available.
"They want the monkeys for over 1,000 zoos they have across China," Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told AFP.
"I have appointed a committee to study the request and see how we can do this."

Of course, there are a few questions about it and darker aspects of this:
- I don't know how a species that numbers over 1 million can be considered endangered, but let's leave it like that
- even if they have 1000 zoos that means 100 monkeys of the same species for each zoo and that is just not real
- what they are going to do for real with them, and most hint at labs testing, which stops being funny  
- how much of the debt will be really erased for this?

But nevertheless, Sri Lanka is in so much debt that it needs either cash or a way to pay out its debts to China so, probably for the first time in human history monkeys will be used en masse to pay for a portion of that debt, giving a whole new meaning to the term "monkey business".
At $4000 per monkey (google sources) that would make about $400 000 000 (in theory, not including costs), around 5% of the 7 billion they have in debt with China.

So, do you feel like you could show up at your bank and hand them two or three monkeys to cover your mortgage?

mmm monkey meat 🍖.

Had it in the Philippines.

1000 x 100 = 100,000 so 900,000 left for barbecue 🍗.

So knocking off 5% is not much for all that monkey meat.

Are Sri Lankians moslem faith if they are not maybe they have pigs to send to China.

I am going to check on that.

90.3 % not moslem which means they have pigs.

China lost .5 billion pigs in 2019 maybe they will sell pigs.

They also have the highest quality cinnamon.

https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Ceylon-Cinnamon-Powder-Resealable/dp/B07MHX96HW/ref=asc_df_B07MHX96HW?

[Bananington]

- I don't know how a species that numbers over 1 million can be considered endangered, but let's leave it like that

The number was much higher than the present number, most likely the reason why the one million in number is now considered as endangered.

- even if they have 1000 zoos that means 100 monkeys of the same species for each zoo and that is just not real
- what they are going to do for real with them, and most hint at labs testing, which stops being funny  

The zoos will get monkeys, but the government owned labs will receive more monkeys than the zoos.

- how much of the debt will be really erased for this?

The debt that will be erased should be equal to the value of these monkeys, but because this is normal way of clearing debts sri lanka is the disadvantaged party in the negotiation they may be bound to whatever value and price the Chinese put on them, so they may end up only clearing the amount from debt that the Chinese want.

[LogitechMouse]

As an animal lover, I feel sorry about the monkeys because they've been used to pay the debt of the country.
The corrupted government of Sri Lanka sucks. I'm sorry, but I'm greatly affected emotionally because of this. I guess I attached myself too much to the animals.

What will China do with the monkeys? Experiments is I think the main reason. I mean they have many laboratories in the country, and they will use every single monkey (probably) just to conduct their experiments. This is where I feel disgusted not only to Sri Lanka, but to China as well.

Some might see it funny because it might be the first time that a country will be using monkeys to pay their debts, but just imagine what will they do to these innocent animals. I wonder what will Sri Lanka will use next to pay their debts. I find this very disgusting, but I guess that's how cruel the world is. 

[ancafe]

Sounds like a joke and totally unrealistic, but they do that, right?

At $4000 per monkey (google sources) that would make about $400 000 000 (in theory, not including costs), around 5% of the 7 billion they have in debt with China.

So, do you feel like you could show up at your bank and hand them two or three monkeys to cover your mortgage?

I haven't visited the legal regulations regarding the sale of endangered species that are starting to be protected in other countries and also don't know whether Sri Lanka has any previous legal products against the ban on the sale of endangered species. We know that Sri Lanka is almost bankrupt, their economy is very chaotic at the moment and they are also in huge debt with China. The question is whether the monkey seller can pay off the debt, I doubt there is any guarantee for them to cover their debt with this pattern.
 
There should be an assessment of whether China is trying to encourage Sri Lanka to sell its increasingly endangered species for a specific purpose? If indeed it is for the purposes of further testing and after that what is the condition of the animal, for whatever reason it can be ascertained that protected animals cannot be traded freely and even though efforts have been made to revise the law regarding this matter. How poor is Sri Lanka right now?

[Aikidoka]

That's really crazy of how Sri Lanka pays their debts with animals, specifically monkeys! I wonder what china will do with those monkeys, I hope they won't do anything bad to them or just kill them? or probably they could eat them.. who knows? It's just unrealistic.

As I heard Sri Lanka don't allow those type of export (animals exports) but since they're in a financial crisis since years then anything could be possible. but I think China is in need for those monkeys whether in medical needs or for meat.

[jrrsparkles]

Sri Lankan government surrendered all their power to China for the next 99 years if I am not wrong due to the corruption, wrong agricultural policies,etc so the existing government is trying to pay something instead of nothing but obviously it won't end the situation probably may reduce the tenure period or anything like that.

Not only Sri Lanka, the Chinese government trapped may countries in that debt trap and got into power indirectly that is why the speculation are going that they will surpass USA in this decade itself.

[slapper]

Is Sri Lanka really thinking about shipping 100,000 monkeys to China?! What a crazy idea! Oh my God, you mean it’s true? Apparently, in today's world, monkeys have replaced money. Bitcoin, take a back seat!

However, I have my doubts. If there are over a million of them, how can the monkeys be in risk of extinction? To suggest that there are not enough bananas in a banana plantation is absurd. And a hundred of the same kind of monkeys for every zoo. That's as much fun as a daily monkey party!

However, the less pleasant sides of this monkey business should not be overlooked. What exactly are they planning to do with them? I certainly hope they aren't going to use them as test subjects for shampoo. And how much would the sale of these monkeys actually reduce Sri Lanka's debt? The equivalent would be giving up a pet monkey for a candy bar.