Looks like China is holding a pretty strong grudge. The Philippines are going through a massive effort of cleaning up after the Typhoon destroyed the nation. Many other nations are pouring support into the country to give aid to the cause. However, China offered $100,000 in cash to the Philippines, a modest amount of help especially compared to the help that other nations are providing.
The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs refused to answer whether they thought that the small donation was because of the rocky relations between China a and the Philippines. Just a couple of month’s prior, China said it would give $1.5 million cash grant to Pakistan after an earthquake. The obvious difference between the current donation to the Philippines and to Pakistan is the relationship between the two nations.
Another interesting fact is that in 2011, when the tropical storm hit the Philippines, China pledged $1 million in humanitarian aid. So, what happened?
The relations between the two nations went south after a dispute over islands and reefs in the South China Sea. China seems to be holding a grudge with the Philippines about the land dispute and won’t donate any more aid or money to the Philippines. Do I think it’s acceptable? That is more an issue of ethics I suppose. People can argue that they are at least donating something; but is it really enough to help at all? I think it is more a jab at the country. Instead of just staying out of the mess, they decide to donate a small amount that would be noticed as much smaller than anything else. It’s an interesting approach…
As my term paper revolved most centrally around the importance of Chinese culture to Chinese decision-making, I wonder if there’s something we’re missing here. Did something happen between the Philippines and China that broke some fundamental ideal we have no knowledge of? Enter the ever-present difficulty of attempting to understand a rift without the appropriate contextual understanding.
And China is generally very generous with foreign aid. Last year China gave out more money than the World Bank and China leads emerging market loaners of aid.