New research shows that the UK government has continued to give China £400 million in foreign aid, despite a pledge by aid minister Andrew Mitchell to end funding in

2010.

According to the House of Commons library, £391 million has been sent to China over the last decade, with annual spending peaking at £68.3 million in 2019 and remaining at £51.7 million in 2021.

The final figure is expected to surpass £400 million, as last year's spending details are yet to be released. Former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has criticized the spending, stating that the government is not taking the threat posed by China seriously. 

Labour MP Sarah Champion, who chairs the Commons international development committee, has noted that there is confusion across government departments regarding aid policy on China. While the business department is taking a strong line, the Foreign Office appears to be more tolerant. Photo by Joshua Doubek, Wikimedia commons.