Britain is still giving China millions of pounds in aid even though the Communist superpower is so wealthy it has just sent a rocket to the moon.
Official figures seen by the Daily Mail reveal that Britain gave Beijing £27.4million last year – making a mockery of ministerial assurances that the programme was to stop.
The revelation comes days after China flaunted its might by successfully landing a probe on the lunar surface. And only two weeks ago David Cameron went to Beijing to seek Chinese investment to improve Britain’s ailing infrastructure.
The government has been critised for providing aid to China, which is so wealthy it has sent a rocket to the moon
Government officials said UK money went on programmes to combat climate change and help economic growth.
But Tory MP Peter Bone called on International Development Secretary Justine Greening to explain why UK aid was still going to China and 14 other nations that had been judged ineligible.
‘The public will be rightly horrified that we are still wasting money on aid to China,’ he said.
‘It is extraordinary that we are doing this while they send a mission to the moon. If these aid programmes are still continuing then I think Justine Greening needs to come to Parliament and explain what the justification is, because I can’t think of one.’
China has poured billions into its space programme. The landing of its Jade Rabbit lunar rover on Saturday was watched on state TV by 1.4billion Chinese.
Ministers have issued repeated assurances that aid to China has stopped, saying in 2010 that it was ‘not justifiable’ to send millions to an economic superpower.
Critics have called on International Development Secretary Justine Greening to explain why UK aid was still going to China and 14 other nations that had been judged ineligible
But figures slipped out by the Department for International Development (Dfid) reveal that China – the world’s second biggest economy with almost £2trillion in reserves – received £27.4 million last year, enough to pay for almost 1,000 UK nurses.
It was one of 16 countries that supposedly had its aid programme axed following a review by Andrew Mitchell, then International Development Secretary, in 2011.
But Dfid figures reveal that 15 of the countries were still receiving a total of £131.9million British aid last year. Vietnam was given £51.5million, Cambodia £14.5million, Indonesia £11.3million and Kosovo £10.2million.
Smaller sums went to Angola, Bosnia, Burundi, Cameroon, Gambia, Iraq, Lesotho, Moldova, Niger and Serbia. Only Russia’s small aid programme was ended.
Ministers have faced persistent criticism for sending aid to countries wealthy enough to develop their own space projects.
India, which received £290million in 2012, last month launched a rocket to survey the surface of Mars. Nigeria was handed £208million despite being able to afford a programme to launch satellites.
China has poured billions into its space programme including the landing of its Jade Rabbit lunar rover on Saturday
Pauline Latham, a Tory member of the Commons international development committee, said she was ‘very surprised’ at the revelation, adding: ‘When China is sending missions to the moon it is quite clear they no longer need our help.’
Matthew Sinclair, chief executive of the TaxPayers Alliance, said: ‘Taxpayers expect UK aid to be helping people in the world’s poorest nations.’
A Government spokesman said it was right to continue to work with non-governmental partners on global issues such as economic growth and climate change.
Last year’s aid package to China included almost £5million from the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC), which is owned by Dfid, and £22.5million from the Foreign Office.
A CDC spokesman said it had been ‘legally and contractually bound’ to hand over the money as part of an ongoing investment deal.
Source: Daily Mail
