Total aid: $1.48bn (receipts)

Aid trend: Little change in 2002

In the 1970s aid was an important part of Chinese diplomacy, going mostly to Africa, but other communist and southeast Asian states were also recipients. Outward aid flows almost ceased in the late 1970s, as the economic reform process turned China itself into a major aid recipient. Japan is the biggest bilateral donor to China, but the potential of the Chinese market means that most developed states provide aid. A significant portion of funding is linked to a donor country's interest in opportunities created by China's huge infrastructure problems, and used to finance high-tech imports.

From "The Financial Times World Desk Reference" © Dorling Kindersley 2004