Foreign aid from China 'selfless' says senior official

China's foreign aid programme is selfless and about helping countries abandoned by a cruel West in a hurry to dump their old colonies, a senior official has said, dismissing suggestions that Beijing's primary aim is accessing raw materials.

China has provided 256.3 billion yuan (23.86bn) in aid over the past 60 years, with almost half going to Africa. Government figures do not include a state-by-state or yearly breakdown, though Beijing says aid has risen substantially since 2004.

By comparison, since 2001 the US Congress has approved about $20bn (12.1bn) for Pakistan alone in direct aid and military reimbursements, the Congressional Research Service says.

Some Chinese projects, particularly in countries affected by western sanctions such as Burma and Zimbabwe, have attracted attention for China's support of governments with poor human rights records.

But deputy commerce minister Fu Ziying, who oversees Beijing's aid programme, yesterday said China was in fact the responsible one, especially in nations that were once colonies of western powers.

"All the colonialists left behind were governors' houses," Mr Fu said. "Many developing countries lack hospitals, schools, cultural centres, bridges, roads. Our aid is concentrated on sectors where they need it most."

Some in Africa say many Chinese projects benefit local people little, with materials and even labour imported directly from China. Dam schemes have proven divisive too.

China's close links with oil-rich African states, including Sudan and Angola, have fuelled criticism as well that Beijing only cultivates relations to secure access to energy and raw materials to power its surging economy. Not so, Fu insisted.

China helped countries with no discernable natural resources, like Mali, he said, adding that less than 30 per cent of African oil exports went to China.