China Pledges $100,000 Aid China is criticised over its decision to pledge far less than some other countries to the Typhoon Haiyan relief fund.4:18am UK, Wednesday 13 November 2013 Relief Efforts Continue After Typhoon Haiyans Destruction People in the worst-hit areas say they are desperate for aid The USS George Washington is on its way China has risked further straining its fragile relations with the Philippines by donating $100,000 (£63,000) to the Typhoon Haiyan relief effort. The donation is matched by $100,000 from the Chinese Red Cross - but is still dwarfed by the effort from other countries seeking to exert influence in South East Asia, including the US and Japan. Diplomatic links between Beijing and Manila have suffered in recent years due to Chinas claims over the disputed South China Sea and a 2010 Hong Kong tour bus hostage crisis in the Filipino capital. One of Chinas state-run newspapers has criticized the donation but comments on Sina Weibo, Chinas version of Twitter, suggest public opinion may be against giving more. The Global Times, known for its nationalistic and often hawkish editorial views, expressed concern about the impact on Beijings international standing. China, as a responsible power, should participate in relief operations to assist a disaster-stricken neighboring country, no matter whether its friendly or not, the paper said in a commentary. Chinas international image is of vital importance to its interests. If it snubs Manila this time, China will suffer great losses. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said China would consider more aid as the situation developed, but did not say why Beijing had offered less than other countries. He said: China has also suffered from the disaster, so we very much understand and sympathize with the current hardships that the Philippine people are facing. The storm claimed the lives of at least seven people and caused $734m (£462m) in economic losses when the much-weakened storm swept through Chinas southern provinces. Comments on Sina Weibo overwhelmingly opposed China giving aid to the Philippines. Police storm the bus A botched attempt to free tourists from a bus in 2010 strained relations One user wrote: For Gods sake, give them nothing. Weve given them enough in the past. Lye Liang Fook of the East Asian Institute in Singapore said it was impossible to separate Chinas anger over territorial claims from the question of disaster relief. He said: Politically there is a lack of trust, and under the circumstances, the fact that China is willing to extend aid is quite significant. The two issues are linked to each other. Joseph Cheng, a political science professor at Hong Kongs City University, said public sentiment would factor into Chinas decision. He said: I certainly think that relief and aid for natural disasters should not be affected by political relations. But the Chinese authorities are handicapped by domestic nationalist feelings as well. China should have used the opportunity to improve its image. Super Typhoon Haiyan tore through the central Philippines on Friday and flattened the city of Tacloban, where officials fear up to 10,000 people could have died. Officials fear the toll could rise as rescuers reach more isolated towns. Overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster, the Philippines has sought international assistance. The US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the USS George Washington, carrying about 5,000 sailors and more than 80 aircraft, will arrive this week after setting sail from Hong Kong on Tuesday. It has been joined by four other US Navy ships. The United States is also providing $20m (£12.5m) in immediate aid, while the UK has committed £15m and sent a Royal Navy warship to the region. Japan said it will give $10m (£6.3m) and send a small number of soldiers and medical personnel, while Australia has donated $9.6m (£6m).
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 02:54:39 +0000
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