U.S. Assistance to China (Taken Question)

Office of the Spokesperson (State Department)

Washington, DC

 

Question Taken at the November 4, 2011 Daily Press Briefing

 

Question: Please provide a breakdown of aid to China and what it pays for.

 

Answer: Our assistance to China is decreasing, as China transitions from a recipient to a donor nation. For FY 2012, the Administration requested $12.85 million for programs in Tibet ($5 million), on preventing the spread of infectious diseases ($7 million), and on international narcotics and law enforcement ($850,000). These programs are targeted, scalable with Chinese resources, and directly address U.S. interests such as preventing the spread of diseases across borders.

 

In FY 2010, assistance programs in China totaled $27.2 million, including $6.2 million for rule of law and good governance, $7.4 million in Tibetan areas, $7 million on health, and $6.6 million on environmental cooperation outside of Tibetan areas. None of this funding went to the Government of China. Approximately half of FY 2010 funding for programs in China was directed by Congress rather than requested by the Administration, including for environmental programs.

 

In FY 2010, USAID’s programs in China served the following goals:

 

Rule of Law: To enhance the development of rule of law and good governance in China by supporting U.S. academic institutions that engage with higher education, legal, and judiciary institutions, as well as local government officials.

 

Tibet: To support activities to assist in preserving the distinct Tibetan culture and promote sustainable development and environmental conservation in Tibetan communities through grants to U.S. organizations.

 

Health: To limit the transmission of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, HIV/AIDS, and avian influenza that pose threats throughout the region and globally.

 

Environment: In FY 2010, USAID’s environmental activities in China prevented 257,776 metric tons of CO2 equivalent from being emitted and saved $39.7 million through energy saving and emissions reduction measures.

 

For more detailed information on USAID and State’s programs in China, please visit foreignassistance.gov.

China: Tibetan Self-Immolations



Protestors protesting in favor of Tibetan
independence during the 2008 Olympics

Office of the Spokesperson (State Department)

Washington, DC

 

Question Taken at the October 18, 2011, Daily Press Briefing

 

QUESTION: Have we raised the issue of Tibetan self-immolations with the Chinese government?

 

ANSWER: Yes, we have, and we remain seriously concerned by reports, since April, of eight Tibetan Buddhist monks and one nun self-immolating at or near the Ngaba Kirti monastery in China’s Sichuan province. These acts clearly represent anger and frustration with regard to Tibetan human rights, including religious freedom, inside China. We again call on the Chinese Government to respect the rights of all Chinese citizens who peacefully express their desire for internationally recognized freedoms; and particularly to respect the rights of Tibetans; to resolve the underlying grievances of China’s Tibetan population. We urge Chinese leaders to address counterproductive policies in Tibetan areas that have created tensions; and to protect Tibet’s unique religious, cultural, and linguistic identity.

Note: Tibet was an independent country until the People's Liberation Army invaded and conquered it in 1950.

Image is the property of Prakhar Amba and is used via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License and was obtained via Wikimedia Commons.

China: Tibetan Monks Protest

Office of the Spokesperson (State Department)

Washington, DC

Question Taken at the September 27, 2011, Daily Press Briefing

Question: What is the State Department’s response to press reports that two Tibetan monks set themselves on fire at a monastery in western China to protest Chinese policies in the area?

Answer: We are seriously concerned by reports of two recent self-immolations of monks from the Ngaba Kirti monastery in China’s Sichuan province. In light of the continuing underlying grievances of China’s Tibetan population, we again urge Chinese leaders to respect the rights of Tibetans, to address policies in Tibetan areas that have created tension, and to protect Tibetans’ unique religious, cultural and linguistic identity. We continue to urge the Chinese Government to allow access to Tibetan areas of China for both journalists and diplomats.

China: Sentencing of Tibetan Monk

A "free Tibet" protest is obscured by
Chinese flags. April 2008.

Office of the Spokesperson (State Department)

Question Taken at the August 29, 2011 Daily Press Briefing

Question: Do you have any comment on the Tibetan monk who was sentenced to 11 years in prison?

Answer: We are concerned by reports that a Chinese court has convicted and sentenced Drongdru, a Tibetan monk, for “intentionally killing” Rigzin Phuntsog, the young monk who self-immolated at the Kirti Monastery in March. The court sentenced Drongdru to 11 years in prison. It is unclear whether he was accorded the procedural rights to which he is entitled under China’s Constitution and laws and under international standards.

We urge the Chinese government to ensure transparency and to uphold the procedural protections and rights to which Chinese citizens are entitled under China’s Constitution and laws and under international standards.

The U.S. government repeatedly has urged the Chinese government to allow access to Tibetan areas of China for both journalists and diplomats so accurate information can be reported.

To resolve underlying grievances of China’s Tibetan population, we urge Chinese leaders to address policies in Tibetan areas that have created tension and to protect Tibetans’ unique linguistic, cultural and religious identity.

Note: Communist China invaded the independent Tibet in 1950, crushing its army and annexing it as part of the PRC.  Tibet has since been forced to adhere to socialism and periodic brutal repression of peaceful protests.  The invasion and annexation of Tibet happened at the same time that the PRC sent its so-called People's Volunteer Army to fight for North Korea in the Korean War and to fight for the Viet Minh in the French Indochina War.

Image by Graeme Bartlett, used courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.