Records indicate the Canadian government continues to pay millions in foreign aid to China, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “I don’t believe Canadian taxpayers should be sending any money to China,” said former Conservative leader Andrew Scheer at a press scrum. “We’re talking about a Communist dictatorial government that abuses human rights, quashes freedoms, violates rights of its citizens, and has a very aggressive foreign policy all throughout the region.”Global Affairs Canada said in a report tabled in Parliament that foreign aid to China totalled $7.59 million every year. This figure was as high as $41 million in 2020 when Scheer called for all foreign aid to China to be suspended. “China is headed in a direction that is not in alignment with Canadian values,” said Scheer. His remarks followed the abduction and jailing of Canadian business consultants Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Global Affairs Canada acknowledged the largest recipient of Canadian foreign aid was Ethiopia ($206.6 million). After Ethiopia was Afghanistan ($201.6 million). This was followed by Bangladesh ($193.8 million), Sudan ($182.3 million) and Ukraine ($172.6 million). This report did not include $18.7 million in repayable Export Development Canada loans in China or Finance Canada’s $159.2 million purchase of shares in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank of Beijing. Opposition MPs have demanded cabinet pull its spending in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which has been targeted by the House of Commons Special Committee on Canada-China Relations. “Forty percent of the staff are Chinese nationals — many of whom are Chinese Communist Party members,” said former Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank communications chief Bob Pickard. “I am alleging undue Chinese Communist Party influence in the everyday operations of the Bank.”Canadians believe foreign aid is pointless, with around one-quarter of them supporting reductions in funding, according to a June poll conducted by Global Affairs Canada. READ MORE: Canadian poll reveals 25% back cuts to foreign aid“Survey results reveal some fairly negative views about certain aspects of international aid,” said Global Affairs Canada. “More than half of Canadians say a lot of international aid from Canada ends up in the pockets of corrupt politicians in the developing world (56%) and that most international aid does not get to the intended recipients (54%).”
