Blog Post #10

Observation: We were told in our foundation of social justice class that 5,000 volunteers were needed to help those affected by the flood in Onion Creek, but they were far short of receiving that much assistance.

            China decided that they would increase their assistance to the Philippines from $100,000 to $1.4 million in relief supplies, $100,000 in cash, and $100,000 from the Chinese Red Cross after being criticized by nations and a newspaper in China. Qin Gang, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said on Thursday that he had adjusted the amount given based on the need at the time, and that it was subject to change based on that. Before this statement Gang remained firm on the initial $100,000 saying that China had also suffered from Typhoon Haiyan, with eight deaths.

            The seemingly small donation is thought to stem from the strained relationship between China and the Philippines. In September, after an earthquake killed 500 people in Pakistan, China gave $1.5 million. One factor which determined how much they would give to the Philippines was the hostility towards foreign aid that many Chinese commentators shared on the internet. When a professor at the Foreign Affairs University in Beijing asked his students what they thought of the hostility, particularly from the internet, they described it as “irresponsible and irrational.”

            This brings up an interesting point, and that is how much do politics stand in the way of helping those who are in need. It is clear that China chose to donate so little initially because of their relationship with the Philippines, clearly not considering the millions of people impacted by the Typhoon. It is optimistic to wish for political agendas or beliefs to not interfere with the needs of a country and how willing other countries are to help them. While I do not know the entire past between China and the Philippines, there is no need to punish an entire nation of people suffering for political differences. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/15/world/asia/chinese-aid-to-philippines.html