§ Sir Alastair GoodladTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department is giving the People's Republic of China; and if she will make a statement on the amount of funding provided. [35729]
§ Clare ShortIn 1996/97 (the latest year for which complete statistics are available), total British assistance to China came to some £32 million. China has about a third of the world's poorest people and a good record of pro-poor growth since the start of the economic reforms96W in 1979. We have a substantial co-operation programme. Priority sectors are education, health, the environment and economic and administrative reform.