Bonnie Glaser, an East Asia adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says the real reason China offers so little is that China is always tight when it comes to disaster aid.
The rising economic power still sees itself as a developing nation, Glaser said.
"There's not a lot of support domestically in China for foreign assistance," Glaser said. "The leadership worries that they would be criticized if they were found to be giving too much money away and not helping the poor at home."
China's power projection capabilities are still limited, she said. It has only one hospital ship, the Arc Peace, and one aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, which its sailors and aviators are still learning how to use. But that has not stopped China from sending numerous military and commercial vessels to the Philippines in the past to stake claims against fishing grounds off its shores.
China does provide foreign assistance, but more in the way of business ventures that are seen as wise investments for the Chinese people. China has funded massive mining and drilling operations in Africa, which has created jobs for thousands of Chinese nationals who China insists be hired for the construction of such projects. And the projects usually involve direct trade with China.
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