Junjie’s China blog

Germany stops aid packages to China

For a long time Germany sent development help to China. 2007 Germany gave 67.5 million Euro to China for development projects. Now the German ministry of development help announced to stop financial aid to China. During the recent years many politicians questioned these aid packages to China, because China is on the best way to a super power and its financial reserves sum up to almost 2 trillion US-Dollar. Quite a lot of money to spend.

Developement help continues on another level

However Germany doesn’t want to totally quit development help to China. Advisory-talks and dialogues should keep on going according to the ministry. And we should not forget, countless non-government organisations are still in China and give a helping hand for short and long term development. Indeed help is still needed, anyone who has been to rural China can confirm that there are deep differences. When I was in Xuanwei (宣威 – Xuānwēi) in Yunnan province I saw a rural Chinese city. Quite big for a Western viewpoint, small for a Chinese viewpoint. Yet there are holes in the street, only parts of the local hospital has electricity and although located in a more remote country side place the pollution is quite heave due to the Xuanwei coal power plant. This is a small Chinese city that definitely still needs a lot of help, money and knowledge wise.

Although the countryside setting should provide clean air, a coal power plant and some heavy industry makes Xuanwei’s sky grey. I hope I didn’t eat to much dust covered rice from the nearby farms there.

And there are regions in China that are even more far behind. On the other hand China does have the money to properly support these regions. Why don’t they do it then? The calculations of the Chinese government are obvious. They invest money when there is a possible profit. It’s cities like Xuanwei that pose as the world’s production place, the local people pay the price with their lungs and life.

Maybe the continued development dialogue can help regions like these to become more liveable. Germany has always been an important Western partner of China, the stop of financial aid is only a minor but necessary issue. Let’s hope the ongoing process helps China to become a better place and foreingners are as welcome in China as they were before the Olympics.

Cancelled development aid an answer to strict visa policy?

Although I’m not to sure about this, the cancelling of the financial development aid to China might also be an answer to the strict Chinese visa policy introduced earlier this year. Maybe the visa story was not the cause for the cancellation but it might have accelerated it. Luckily China visas are more easily available now that the Chinese Olympics are over.

With this cancellation of financial help China is accepted as a country on it’s way to first world status. Yes, I do know there is still a lot of things to do, but I can’t see to many roadblocks that could stop the process. In the near term future China will take a more important role in international economic talks, organizations and forums.

At the end of October German chancellor Angela Merkel will attend to the ASEM (Asian Europe Meeting) in China and she will also talk to the Chinese leaders at that occasion. The Tibet question will be pushed to the background and economic questions will be the important parts on the schedule. Let’s see what happens there.