By Daniel Baltrusaitis
In response to the tragedy that has unfolded over the past days in the Philippines, a number of countries have rushed to contribute to the recovery efforts. Altruism is its own reward, of course, but the aid ultimately gives these countries influence with the Philippine people and government. The recovery efforts have been rapid, albeit not rapid enough for those devastated by the disaster. One nation, however, has been notably absent: China.
China's foreign ministry announced that the country would provide $100,000 in cash and “humanitarian emergency relief assistance” to the Philippines, an absurdly paltry amount in comparison to the aid provided by other nations. For instance, the United Arab Emirates, home to approximately 700,000 Philippine nationals, has pledged $10 million, while regional powers Australia and the Republic of Korea have pledged $10 million and $5 million respectively. The United States has deployed a team of about 90 Marines and sailors as part of the first wave of promised U.S. military assistance amounting to $20 million.
Read the full story at The Diplomat