Our foreign Aid to China

[Jo Canadian]

I wasn't aware of the amount of Aid being sent to China. Does our Gov't actually track what is done with Aid money or is it just handed over with trust? I find it funny that we are contributing aid money to the next superpower, even with having 20% of the worlds poor it would be nice to know if our money is being put into helping them. The environmental problems cited were mostly those of their own makings anyways. I was also unaware of any Zimbabwe connections that's news to me, but maybe I wasn't just reading enough.

Tory wants aid to China stopped

A Conservative MP says it's time to "turn off the tap" of Canadian foreign aid to China.

Canada has given China over $1 billion in aid over a decade and will contribute $50 million this year, Tory MP Helena Guergi said in media release on Thursday.

"Every dollar that Canada gives to China, no matter how well
intended, is a dollar that the Chinese government can spend on its military, space program and propping up other corrupt and abusive regimes like North Korea or Zimbabwe," she said.

Guergi asked why the Liberal government is giving money to a country that:

-Has the biggest army in the world.
-Abuses human rights.
-Has the second-largest economy in the world.
-Has a space program.
-Has a nuclear-weapons program.

China doesn't need Canadian aid, and has even been trying to buy up Canadian companies, she said. More...

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Our foreign Aid to Ch

17% of China's population lives on less than $2.00 a day. That's a whole lot of people. The situation is made worse because China's growing economy has caused inflation.

The big question shouldn't be if we are giving aid to China, but how that aid is being targeted. Is it going to dam building? China can do that themselves. Is is going to develop industries that depend on virtual slave labour? Again, we should have no part of that.

If it is going to feeding and educating that 17% of the population that are among the world's poorest, then it is worthwhile. If it is (as often happens) being used to benefit Canadian corporations working in China, then it should be re-targeted.

 

[Jo Canadian]

That was pretty much my question too. What happens to the money when it is given to the Chinese Government? I would like it to help those that are impoverished, but since we don't know where it goes it makes it pretty easy for us to be...misled into thinking that it could go into nuclear or space programs.

What what's-her-pickle should be harping on is for our Gov't to demand a recipt from China showing us what programs we help fund, rather than cancelling it off ourtright based on speculation.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Our foreign Aid to Ch

Most aid is given to specific projects, not just as a cash gift, Jo. I think we should cut the aid to include only food, medical and education aid and that should go only to programs dealing with the very poor.

Right now we have money going to things like projects to bring China's industrial environmental standards up to the (lax) standards set by the Chinese government. The money goes to profitable factories that are producing goods for western markets. Let the factories pay their own way, make it a trade stipulation not an aid gift.

 

[Machjo]

Or in order to eliminate the debate altogether, cut aid to China, and instead just promote more open borders. For example, make it easier for Chinese to gain citizenship. That way it would no longer be an economic issue anymoere, but one of more freedom instead.

As for giving money to China, leave that to individual, private sector, or NGO contributions.

End of story. Then the Canadian government is out of the picture if anything goes wrong.