Why is Britain still sending foreign aid to China?

Just why is Britain still spending over £50 million a year in development aid to China? Despite it being the world’s second largest economy and investing in UK infrastructure projects, the latest statistical release by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office shows that in 2021 more than £50 million of bilateral aid money was spend there, putting it just outside the top 20 of countries which received the most UK aid. And this is after the UK government promised to phase out foreign aid making its way to Beijing.

The Foreign Office’s separately published development tracker shows 57 aid projects active in the country, many of them involved with climate change or the illegal wild animal trade. Money is also going to collaborative projects such as those involved in tackling microbacterial resistance.