U.S. sends China millions in foreign aid despite $1.3 trillion debt

U.S. sends China millions in foreign aid despite $1.3 trillion debt

President Barack Obama, left, toasts with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Nov. 12 at a lunch banquet in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. China has become one of the world’s largest two economies, and is wealthy enough ... more >

 

By Kellan Howell - The Washington Times - Thursday, February 12, 2015

China has become one of the world’s largest two economies, and is wealthy enough to buy up at least $1.3 trillion of the U.S. debt. But that hasn’t stopped Uncle Sam from continuing to send foreign aid to Beijing.

In 2014 the U.S. State Department and its USAID program provided nearly all of the $12.3 million in taxpayer-funded aid set aside for China. And another $6.8 million is on tap for Beijing this year, according to ForeignAssistance.gov.

In the big picture of things, China’s aid package — mostly centered around pollution and pro-democracy programs — is a mere drip from a foreign aid spigot that has been as great as $50 billion annually in recent years. But taxpayer watchdogs say it’s a classic example of the U.S. government not being able to reign in aid on projects whose effectiveness is immeasurable and could easily be funded by the country itself.

Washington Times Story