Secrets Uncovered about China’s “foreign aid”
揭秘：“对外援助”的那些事
By Dai Xiting, July 10, 2014
Source: Beijing News 新京报
Link: http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2014/07/10/324908.html
Table 1: 2010-2012 distribution of Chinese aid
52.1%, most underdeveloped countries
21.2%, lower-middle income countries
12.3%, upper-middle income countries
9%, other low income countries
5.4%, other
On the 10th of July, China’s State Council Information Office released the information that from 2010 to 2012, China’s monetary foreign aid amounted to 89.34 billion RMB.
This article answers many questions about foreign aid and the meaning of foreign aid from an international and historical perspective. The majority of countries in this world do have some degree of foreign aid to support poverty elimination, disaster relief, etc., and China is clearly no exception. During the initial stages of Reform and Opening foreign aid was cut and was a comparatively low part of the national expenditure. In 2010, however, China’s foreign aid reached 16.5 billion yuan, or about $20 billion US dollar. (For comparison, U.S. foreign aid during that year was more than $30 billion.)
Foreign aid has significant diplomatic interests. It is a way of “winning the hearts and minds” of populations and fostering international sympathies and support. Despite its own difficulties in the past century, China continually provided international aid. In the 1950s, its largest recipients were North Korea and Vietnam. From 1950-1954, Vietnam alone received material aid and supporting worth approximately 160 million yuan in total. During the 1950s and 1960s, China also gave significantly to Albania. However, relations soured in the 1970s.
Translation by Kelly McCarthy
