China flips nickel into Philippines’ hat

Don’t spend it all in one place, Manila

Imagine if a Caribbean island nation suffered a catastrophic natural disaster, and the U.S. response was to send that country $100,000.
That’s what China just did, according to this Reuters report.

The country pledged $100,000 in aid to the Philippines, which, as you may have heard, was hit last week by what may have been the most powerful tropical storm in recorded history.

Because throwing cash at the developing nations in your backyard is on page three of Geopolitics for Dummies, even the state-run mouthpiece newspapers are looking askance at their government:

Even China’s state-run Global Times newspaper, known for its nationalistic and often hawkish editorial views, expressed concern about the impact on Beijing’s international standing.

“China, as a responsible power, should participate in relief operations to assist a disaster-stricken neighboring country, no matter whether it’s friendly or not,” the paper said in a commentary.

The U.S. has sent $20 million in “immediate aid,” Reuters says, which doesn’t count the more than 5,000 sailors aboard the carrier USS George Washington and a number of other ships.