Did My Aid Do That?

Chinese Aid and Human Rights Performance

Greyson Mann, Wofford College
T. David Mason, Ph.D., and Brandon Stewart
National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates
University of North Texas
Abstract Denton, Texas

Theory
China strategically deals foreign aid, but has no
requirements of pursuit of human rights policy or
democracy. Also, China's definition of foreign aid
includes military aid. The lack of incentive to pursue
human rights policy and democratic governance,
creates a dangerous situation of a potentially or
already repressive regime with economic and
military support to repress its citizens further. Also,
some of the autocratic and repressive regimes that
China supports have oligarchic and elitist rule. They
may use Chinese aid for personal benefits and
cause inequality and instability among the populace.
As a result, that government may be further pushed
to use repressive tactics to stay in power.
Future Research
Future research can further this study by taking into
account other more covert existential
consequences. Some argue Chinese aid is elite
centered. As a result, future studies should look to
determine whether Chinese aid projects have been
manipulated through graft and misuse of resources.
Chinese Foreign Aid to Mauritius
In recent years China has increased its engagement in the developing world. Previous studies
have examined China's policy, weapons transfers, and the perspectives of Chinese engagement in
Africa, but have failed to examine this relationship's effects on human rights. This paper argues
that as Chinese aid increases, human rights violations should also increase because of the
unconditionality of Chinese aid. Upon receiving aid with no stipulations of democracy or pursuit of
human rights policy recipients may be more inclined to use repressive measures to maintain
power and are further supported through Chinese developmental assistance. On the contrary, a
Results and Implications
ordinal probit analysis of all 54 African countries' human rights performance as compared to the
The insignificant relationship of Chinese foreign aid
amount of Chinese aid they received in that year demonstrates an insignificant relationship
on human rights performance suggests that
between the two variables. These findings imply that repressive regimes will commit human rights
repressive regimes will be repressive regardless of
violations whether receiving Chinese aid or not.
receiving Chinese aid or not.
Hypothesis From this, several implications may be drawn:
1.Aid without stipulations does not affect whether a
H1: As a recipient country receives more Chinese aid, their human rights performance decreases. country pursues human rights policy or democratic
practices. It is possible, that repression and
Findings potential for repressive actions is an internal, not
external issue.
Chinese aid from 1998-2011 as measured by AidData was found to not have a significant 2.China's projects in developing countries may
relationship with human rights performance as measured by PTS’s data from Amnesty have less malicious intent than previous literature
International and the State Department. This demonstrates that Chinese aid does not cause describes. Upon scrutiny of the data there are
countries to become more repressive. The graphs below demonstrate the consistent nature of a 1700 official finance projects and only 80 military.
regime's human rights performance despite the level of Chinese aid. 3.There may be other causes of human rights
violations other than Chinese foreign aid. Previous
Mauritius: Chinese Foreign Aid and Human Rights Performance studies have argued that America's influence in
Sudan: Chinese Foreign Aid and Human Rights Performance
autocratic countries in Africa is still greater than
*Aid Amount is Calculated in US Dollars * Aid Amount is Calculated in US Dollars
that of China's.
$2,500,000,000 5 The implications that Chinese foreign aid may not
$350,000,000 5
be the cause of increased human rights violations
provides compelling grounds for further scholarly
$2,000,000,000 4 $300,000,000
inquiry into China's relationship in Africa.
4
Selected Citations

This could promote inequality among the populace, $250,000,000 Chinese

Chinese Foreign Aid to Sudan

Chinese Foreign
PTS State Department

and cause civil unrest. This situation may cause a $1,500,000,000 3 Foreign

PTS State Department

Aid
Aid 3 Strange, Austin; et. al. 2013. "China's Development
repressive government to abuse citizens physical $200,000,000
Finance to Africa: A Media Based Approach to Data
integrity rights in order to stay in power, thus aid Re-
$1,000,000,000 2
Re- pres- Collection". CGD Working Paper 323. Washington DC:
indirectly causing a system of human rights pres- $150,000,000
2 sion
sion Center for Global Development
abuses. This further would show the importance of http://www.cgdev.org/publication/chinas-development-fin
certain stipulations to aid, whether it be policy, $100,000,000
ance
$500,000,000 1
democracy, or other methods of ensuring the aid is 1 Yiagadeesen, Samy. 2010. "China's Aid Policies in Africa:
used to benefit a specific area. $50,000,000
Opportunities and Challenges" The Round Table
$0 0
99.406: 75-90
1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 $0 0 De Soya, Ingrid; Midford, Paul. 2012. "Enter the Dragon!
1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 An Empirical Analysis of Chinese vs. US Arms Transfers
Year Year to Autocrats and Violators of Human Rights 1989-2006"
International Studies Quarterly 56: 843-856
Acknowledgements
Data Inquiry
Special thanks to T. David Mason, John Ishiyama, Michael
The two models only produced 246 observations and 206 observations respectively. This is a result of the Greig, and Brandon Stewart for their support.
lack of transparency by the Chinese government on foreign aid activities. Thus, in order to get the most This material is based upon work supported by the American
accurate study of this relationship, more precise data from the Chinese government is necessary. Political Science Association