LUSAKA, April 6 (Reuters) - Zambia is being "punished" for a failure to complete debt restructuring that is not its fault, but its two main creditors, China and international bondholders, both want a resolution, the country's finance minister told Reuters. Zambia was the first African country to default in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic battered the global economy. Many Western officials have blamed delays in agreeing the debt relief on the largest bilateral creditor, China, something it denies. "The Chinese are asking questions, the bondholders are also asking questions ... but constructive questions, so that's no problem," Musokotwane said. Bondholders say they want a resolution to this, the Chinese say they want a resolution to this."

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