Citing a stark contrast between the developmental assistance provided by economic heavyweights US and China, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green is reported to have claimed that the US developmental assistance is aimed at empowering the donee states whereas as that of China is for building dependence, reports Financial Express.
"Chinese are fundamentally different. US is working to help countries build self-reliance. We want them to go from being traditional assistance recipients to partners, to fellow donors and lead them to a bright future” Green was quoted as saying.
“China’s a very different model. They build dependency. So, the choice is self-reliance versus almost servitude. What they do are loans, and as we’re learning more and more, often unsustainable financing that’s mortgaging a country’s future, he added.
He slammed China for taking over strategic assets at nations, who are not able to pay back their loans. “So, you see ports being, essentially, taken over by China. Sole, exclusive use of those ports. Dangerously extractive, often, strategic minerals, what should have been the birthright of young Africans, is tied up by financing from China,”
On the African disbursements, he said, “And so, what happens is those young Africans never see the benefits. They never see the broad-based economic growth based on their resources. Instead, the benefits go elsewhere,” he said.
On the other hand, the US, while providing funds, asks for reforms. “We ask them to respect certain rights and values. What we want for them is to become, eventually, trading partners. But equal partners, in that. And the way that you do that incentivises market-based reforms, build their capacity, increase their incomes. So, we want them to move, regarding fully independent sovereign nations, leading their future and becoming partners of ours,” Green was reported as saying.
