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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2019 8:01:32 GMT
China, with the fastest growing economy in the world, has just landed a craft on the far side of the Moon......yet in the last year, the British government has given China 49 million quids worth of Foreign Aid.
Can someone please explain to me, in a rational manner, just wtf the government think they are doing?
"Schemes funded included a £981,950 study into air pollution in cities and a £860,732 project to encourage the population to reduce its salt intake, while £58,555 went on developing a plan to help protect the Chinese giant salamander. The Department for International Development no longer sends cash aid to China but other Whitehall departments have continued to spend it there.
Handouts in 2017 included £333,614 from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills for research into providing gastric cancer screening in rural China. The department lavished £713,796 on a research programme into renewable energy systems such as floating offshore wind power and wave energy, and £107,711 on a survey into how China’s land and water use is causing widespread soil degradation.
The cross-Whitehall Prosperity Fund gave £34,627 to a project to develop China’s electric car industry, while the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs spent £35,701 on an anti-ivory campaign on social media.
International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt admitted last May that China does not believe it should receive foreign aid handouts."
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2019 9:46:31 GMT
It might be conceivably justifiable, just, if this spend contributed to our own understanding of specific issues.
But nah, as an internationalist even I cannot see any true justification for this. Apart from jobs for the boys in Whitehall.
As importantly, why does China even allow it? They are quick enough to chuck our people out of Hong Kong if we say the wrong thing (FT Editor).
It's a joke in this case.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2019 10:08:48 GMT
It might be conceivably justifiable, just, if this spend contributed to our own understanding of specific issues. But nah, as an internationalist even I cannot see any true justification for this. Apart from jobs for the boys in Whitehall. As importantly, why does China even allow it? They are quick enough to chuck our people out of Hong Kong if we say the wrong thing (FT Editor). It's a joke in this case. Why do China allow it? Why not. If someone is giving you free cash you're not going to turn it down are you? The Foreign Aid budget is currently just over 14 billion, and if you read the reports, this money given to the Chinese does not even come out of that. It is money from 'other' Whitehall Departments. The other point is that if you ask the Tories, Labour, Lib Dems or any party in Parliament, they will all refuse to cut the Foreign Aid budget. In fact, the only party committed to cutting it are UKIP, and they are now a dead party. You really couldn't make this sh1t up. I love the 352 million we send to Syria. We hate the despot who runs the place, we bomb the crap out of it, so we give them 352 million. We also give 100 million to Rwanda, who then spend 30 million on a sponsorship deal with Arsenal ! |
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Post by baggins on Jan 4, 2019 12:19:48 GMT
There is something seriously wrong with us.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2019 12:25:13 GMT
It might be conceivably justifiable, just, if this spend contributed to our own understanding of specific issues. But nah, as an internationalist even I cannot see any true justification for this. Apart from jobs for the boys in Whitehall. As importantly, why does China even allow it? They are quick enough to chuck our people out of Hong Kong if we say the wrong thing (FT Editor). It's a joke in this case. Why do China allow it? Why not. If someone is giving you free cash you're not going to turn it down are you? The Foreign Aid budget is currently just over 14 billion, and if you read the reports, this money given to the Chinese does not even come out of that. It is money from 'other' Whitehall Departments. The other point is that if you ask the Tories, Labour, Lib Dems or any party in Parliament, they will all refuse to cut the Foreign Aid budget. In fact, the only party committed to cutting it are UKIP, and they are now a dead party. You really couldn't make this sh1t up. I love the 352 million we send to Syria. We hate the despot who runs the place, we bomb the crap out of it, so we give them 352 million. We also give 100 million to Rwanda, who then spend 30 million on a sponsorship deal with Arsenal ! The contradictions are laughable aren't they. I AM surprised at China, an introverted proud nation, why do they accept foreign interference? |
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Post by baggins on Jan 4, 2019 13:00:07 GMT
Why do China allow it? Why not. If someone is giving you free cash you're not going to turn it down are you? The Foreign Aid budget is currently just over 14 billion, and if you read the reports, this money given to the Chinese does not even come out of that. It is money from 'other' Whitehall Departments. The other point is that if you ask the Tories, Labour, Lib Dems or any party in Parliament, they will all refuse to cut the Foreign Aid budget. In fact, the only party committed to cutting it are UKIP, and they are now a dead party. You really couldn't make this sh1t up. I love the 352 million we send to Syria. We hate the despot who runs the place, we bomb the crap out of it, so we give them 352 million. We also give 100 million to Rwanda, who then spend 30 million on a sponsorship deal with Arsenal ! The contradictions are laughable aren't they. I AM surprised at China, an introverted proud nation, why do they accept foreign interference? Is free money interference? |
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Post by Hugo the Elder on Jan 4, 2019 13:01:04 GMT
There is something seriously wrong with me. Fixed that for you. |
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Post by baggins on Jan 4, 2019 13:04:27 GMT
There is something seriously wrong with me. Fixed that for you. Oh go and do something, push the broom about a bit, make some tea, anything. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2019 13:29:57 GMT
The contradictions are laughable aren't they. I AM surprised at China, an introverted proud nation, why do they accept foreign interference? Is free money interference? They are paranoid, so yes. |
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Post by baggins on Jan 4, 2019 13:35:57 GMT
Is free money interference? They are paranoid, so yes. . Well that's very nice of them. |
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Post by axegas on Jan 4, 2019 16:40:22 GMT
It's relatively little money in the bigger picture and probably just being used to butter the Chinese up for a good trade deal post Brexit.
As Oldie pointed out, studies into the air pollution of Chinese cities could be beneficial in developing an understanding of the pollution of our own.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2019 20:43:13 GMT
Sorry, but a Trade Deal with China is a complete no-no.
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Post by Hugo the Elder on Jan 5, 2019 6:12:05 GMT
Sorry, but a Trade Deal with China is a complete no-no. So where does all the tat and electronics in my house with 'made in china' written on come from then? |
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Post by stuart1974 on Jan 5, 2019 9:22:45 GMT
Sorry, but a Trade Deal with China is a complete no-no. A one sided negotiation. www.google.com/amp/s/www.spectator.co.uk/2018/08/making-china-great-again/amp/No matter how appealing a trade deal between Britain and China, it comes with costs. For a start, greater trade with China invariably means larger trade deficits. At present, UK-China trade is relatively small at £67 billion, but it is very much in China’s favour — Britain has a £23 billion trade deficit with the country. This would only balloon if Hunt got the free trade deal he wants. China’s low labour costs already give it a big advantage in manufacturing, something which is bound to grow as Xi Jinping pushes through his ambitious ‘Made in China’ programme to make the country dominant in advanced technology, aviation, energy and IT by 2025. |
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Post by stuart1974 on Jan 5, 2019 9:31:31 GMT
In terms of foreign aid, I applaude the ambition but think it should be used differently.
For example, we could use it to train medical professionals who will spend say 3 years working in the NHS before returning back. Teachers too.
Or build logistic hubs in certain places and ships or hire aircraft that the MOD could use too which would becomes focus for humanitarian disaster relief.
We could also fund match charities so for example, if Red Nose Day raised £40m, that could be spent in the UK and Government gives the overseas share to it instead.
I guess it does buy some leverage though and helps certain communities who are not looked after by their own government.
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