- BEIJING: China has slammed claims that its burgeoning foreign aid to Africa is driven by its interest in the impoverished continent’s rich natural resources.
- It says China helps poorer countries out of solidarity.
Vice Commerce Minister Fu Ziying told reporters Tuesday that accusations China gives aid to Africa to secure rights to energy and mining resources were “nonsense.” Fu says China has made significant sacrifices in trying to help African countries lift themselves out of poverty, including the deaths of more than 700 Chinese workers.
An official report released last week says China’s budgeted foreign aid swelled nearly 30 percent a year since 2004.
Western politicians and scholars have said China’s action is driven by the need for natural resources.