Senators urge end to US development aid to China

US senators Jim Webb and James M. Inhofe have called for an end to annual US development aid to China, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. In a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee, Webb and Inhofe urged an end to all development assistance to China apart from funds dedicated to promoting human rights and democracy here, and development assistance to Tibet. The US has provided over US$275 million in assistance to China for various projects over the years. Funding has supported projects including expanding Internet service and improving transportation infrastructure. In 2009, Washington contributed US$65 million in grants to China. The letter said that China, now the world’s second-largest economy, does not need the money and that there are other countries more in need of assistance. China also receives billions of dollars from multilateral institutions like the United Nations and World Bank. The senators pointed out that China currently owns US$1.2 trillion of  US sovereign debt and has launched its own multibillion-dollar foreign assistance program.