After it was revealed that Britain provided about £50 million in foreign aid to China last year, Sir Iain Duncan Smith urged that it is time to stop. According to a new assessment by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), international aid to Beijing in 2021/22 was roughly £48 million.
The watchdog also expressed concerns about a lack of openness in how funds are spent.
Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith termed the payments to Beijing “bizarre” and demanded that the funds be shifted to countries in greater need.
The China hawk said: “China is now the second largest economy in the world. It seems bizarre that we would be giving aid to China given their own financial position.”
“Whatever else the Government says it’s time for that to stop and for that aid to be given to countries that genuinely need the assistance and help in developing their economies.”
The amount of overseas aid sent to China has reduced in recent years and is expected to continue to fall. The commission estimated that it could drop to £10million by the end of 2024.
Sir Hugh Bayley, who led the latest review, said: “While UK aid to China has fallen rapidly in recent years, taxpayers are still not being told clearly how much aid will continue and what it will be spent on.
“From the limited information shared with us, we’ve established that most aid funding to China from across government has ended.
“Remaining aid spend will focus on higher education, English language, arts and culture and, to a lesser extent, human rights.
“Average incomes in China will soon be too high for the country to continue to receive foreign aid and there appears to be no clear Government strategy for how to manage this, which could put some of the benefits from past UK development assistance at risk.”
It comes as ministers have characterised the growing influence of China as an “epoch-defining challenge”.