China to Philippines: Here, Have a Measly $100,000 in Aid
The world's second largest economy off-loads insultingly small change on a storm-battered Philippines
Survivors of Typhoon Haiyan react after not being allowed to board an evacuation flight from Tacloban Airport in Tacloban, Philippines, November 12, 2013.
The U.S. has promised $20 million in aid for victims of Supertyphoon Haiyan in the Philippines and has mobilized an aircraft carrier for the relief effort. Britain is also sending a warship and has pledged $16 million. The Vatican is dispatching $4 million, Japan $10 million and New Zealand $1.7 million. And China, the world’s most populous nation and second largest economy?
It’s handing over $100,000.
China’s relations with the Philippines have frayed over the past year, as tensions rise over bits of rocks in the South China Sea that both nations have declared their own. While disputes in the resource-rich waterway have simmered for decades and involve other regional neighbors, China has, in recent months, more assertively staked its maritime claims and last year blocked Filipino fishermen from contested waters.
The fracas has led Manila to deepen security relations with both Japan and the U.S., nations that once colonized or occupied the Philippines. Earlier this year, Tokyo committed 10 cutters to upgrade the Philippine coast guard. Although American bases in the Philippines were closed in the early 1990s because of local opposition, talks are under way to renew an American military presence there.
A much weaker Haiyan affected southern China as well, causing much damage and killing eight people. But many users of the Chinese social-media service Weibo were neither moved by the current death toll in the Philippines (it stands at more than 1,800, and officials fear it may eclipse 10,000) nor the complete devastation visited upon many communities. “Our country is also suffering from the same natural disaster, but we still offered help to you [in the Philippines],” wrote one user. “If you do not appreciate our help, give back our money.” Another opined, “Since the Philippine government has the budget to purchase American weapons, they should not want for money.”
Beijing isn’t always so parsimonious with disaster assistance. Two months ago, when an earthquake rocked Pakistan, China promised $4.88 million in relief supplies. Many Chinese feel that more should be done to help the Philippines. The Chinese Red Cross has committed $100,000 of its own in disaster relief for Haiyan, and a Nov. 12 editorial in the Global Times, a Chinese Communist Party–linked daily, said “as a responsible power” China should “participate in relief operations to assist a disaster-stricken neighboring country, no matter whether it’s friendly or not.”
But even if it now rushes aid and supplies to the Philippines’ storm-battered provinces, the Chinese government has been made to look mean-spirited in front of the world community. Beijing isn’t the only one that has tangled with the Philippines over maritime claims. In May, a Taiwanese fisherman was killed by the Philippine Coast Guard in the South China Sea. Yet Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province, pledged $200,000 in Haiyan aid.
That’s double the amount the Chinese government is sending.
— With reporting by Gu Yongqiang / Beijing
Typhoon Haiyan Cuts a Path of Destruction Across The Philippines
Dennis M. Sabangan / EPA
A view of Filipino typhoon survivors prior their boarding on a US C-130 plane in the super typhoon devastated city of Tacloban, Leyte province, Philippines, 13 November 13, 2013.
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979 Comments
It would be much better for the Philippines and China to cooperate economically rather than relying on the USA. the USA has always been a cruel master to the Philippines, it would be nice to see a change.
Maybe China could send more, if we didn't owe them a trillion dollars? Thanks Bush, for nothing!
Every concerned U.S. citizen should make a personal effort to boycott Chinese goods. We can and should find other sources for our shoes, shirts, dresses, electronics, etc. Seriously, most Americans don't understand. We've been in a trade war with these pathological thieves for many years now. Hit them in their wallets; it's the only thing besides force they understand.
We don't need your help China. You keep that $100,00.00 in your pockets. Just return our territories you are illegally occupying and leave us alone.
Ireland is giving 1.5 million euros when we are in a terrible recession with a population of 4.5 million and yet China with a population of 1.3 billion is only giving 100,000 USD? I am really surprised.
Instead of donating money, which will be corrupted by local politicians anyway. China should send in their military's corp of engineers to rebuild its infrastructure, and have Philippines government pay for the bills. They are famous for constructing brand new cities out of nowhere with latest (local) building code. Chinese coolie even built the transcontinental railroad for US. Lastly, maybe Philippine should just let Chinese Navy to station (lease) at Subic Bay so that rescue response time will be faster.
Let's take a look at how Philippines is spending its national budget
P18.976 billion http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/10/17/13/philippines-buy-12-south-korean-fighter-jets
USD$2.3 billion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bataan_Nuclear_Power_Plant (wasted)
USD$1.6 billion http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-16/philippines-plans-to-buy-military-jets-amid-dispute-with-china.html (love thy neighbor?)
USD$8 billion (approx.) http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/09/11/corruption-philippines-marcos-was-worst.html (corruption)
Let's take a look at how Philippines is spending its national budget
P18.976 billion http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/10/17/13/philippines-buy-12-south-korean-fighter-jets
USD$2.3 billion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bataan_Nuclear_Power_Plant (wasted)
USD$1.6 billion http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-16/philippines-plans-to-buy-military-jets-amid-dispute-with-china.html (love thy neighbor?)
USD$8 billion (approx.) http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/09/11/corruption-philippines-marcos-was-worst.html (corruption)
we welcome any aid, no matter the amount and i believe this is no time to judge china's actions... even if we have a longstanding territorial dispute with them (among other issues). if they do not want to help us, we will not force them to... but we will always remember those countries that have done their best to help our fellowmen in this dark chapter of our country's history.
China is smart- why have corrupt phillipino officials get richer- foreign aid needs to be reviewed - these people need proper infrastructure and housing not surviving from one disaster to another -
Can't we send all NSA employees to the Philippines to clear a path to reach the affected areas?
@Andrea Schroeder I think our countrymen who were ravaged doesn't feel that way. I, for them would accept any form of help, material and moral support. I'd want to set aside other issues in the meantime as I believe there is an appropriate time to have that discussed about.
The Philippines doesn't need the money or the supplies. It needs infrastructure. Many of the affected areas have no road links to begin with, and this makes it much more difficult to deliver aid. The infrastructure should have been built years ago, and since they weren't, no amount of cash is going to help.
Since when donations can be used for criticism.... Every country has its own problems and judging of a good will on amount of money is just sad....
Hmm...it's quite a darn shame that China isn't giving any more than that. Filipinos are a fundamentally good people and they deserve a lot more than that nonsense especially in the wake of the recent deadly typhoon. I'm Chinese and have Filipino friends whom I both love and respect. However, I find the China-bashing in most of these 900+ comments disturbing and unsettling. But hey, what more can you expect from the public outside of China that hears nothing about it except for negative things in the media?
We pledged over one billion dollars to Haiti after that horrible earthquake, but the Haitians have yet to see a single cent because the money was withheld by U.S. Congress, tied up in the labyrinth of the Congressional appropriations process.
I wonder how much money will actually be released this time around, and what the Chinese will charge for interest.
It's up to China whether they want to send money or not. It's up to us who buy Chinese products to keep them employed. If you don't like China's position on the Philippines, show them by not buying their products. As of today, I for one am making a concerted effort not to by their products. I am at a point where I would rather do without than support the Chinese.
There are many many unemployed Filipinos. American companies should move more of our manufacturing to the Philippines. We won't have to worry about them stealing our technology and putting our companies out of business either. Watch "Death by China" Plus, the Filipino's are much nicer people; by far.
Chinese morals are quite different then the rest of the worlds. Why would anyone expect aid from them when they don't take care of their own people. 1% of the population holds 70% of the wealth. They are the largest exporters of prostitutes in the world. It is far better to sell yourself in the US & Europe and go home rich than to stay there and be poor. Just look around, see how many Asian Massage Parlors are in your city. You will be surprised. Ask any police officer, he will tell you what goes on in these Chinese Parlors. It's no secret. Rid your cities of them. They are bad for our local working girls :)
We are broke. Whatever we spend on helping the Philippines, we first have to borrow from China, with interest.
Let's try a more fiscally responsible approach: let the Philippines pay for the cost of assistance, making it a nonprofit endeavor.
@eclec Its much to late for that. It wouldn't work either way. if Americans didn't buy, their standard of living would skyrocket by turning their economy inward. China has a bigger middle class than the USA has in it's whole population. Just like the USA was able to de-couple from britian....so will china. Once you produce everything you need, you become the winner.
@Cielo Rodriguez
Yes, People seriously need to find alternatives, and stop supporting products made in this country. This shows that there leadership is heartless, greedy, evil, and careless.
This was a slap in the face do thousands of people that are in need of help while loosing, and still looking for loved ones. What's it going to take for people to stop supporting products that this country makes.
Do the work and find products that are made elsewhere. Please don't continue to support this level of evilness.
@MaxWei No, I'm serious. At least for Boston and other East coast cities, most of them are Korean owned, along with grocery stores of course. And I have also on good evidence that most nail salons are owned by Vietnamese.
The only thing bad with the Koreans is they eat dogs, and oh, that whole Virginia Tech thing.
@robbyzheng Right because this is just a fluke, and China is a great neighbor the rest of the time. ^Dummy.
@MaxWei I completely agree. I've been doing business with the Chinese for many years now, and they are thieves and crooks. Boycott Chinese goods!!!
@MaxWei @by78 I don't. I can't tell them apart. They all look the same. And no, I'm not being racist, it's just I can't tell. But I have a couple of friends on vice squads who told me that most of these massage places are Korean owned, and many are in fact owned by Korean gangs who 'recruit' out of Korea.
Read more: Haiyan: China's Paltry Aid to the Philippines | TIME.com http://world.time.com/2013/11/13/china-to-philippines-here-have-a-measly-100000-in-aid/#ixzz2kZjrQlZ6
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