Why on Earth would they do that?

Why on Earth would anybody give financial aid, such as this, to the Chinese regime? The People's Republic of China currently ranks fourth worldwide on the IMF's 2005 rank of countries by their national GDP. Its ranking has even surpassed that of UK (rank 5) and Canada (rank 8) and yet the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is planning to donate an additional $200 million to initiate AIDS awareness program across China. When you come to look at this, it is almost as if it is a nice PR stunt to solidify Microsoft's software distribution rights in China. With China's estimated 1.3 billion population, it would be a dream come true for any company to substantiate the distribution of its products in mainland China.

If one has a clear conscience, they would not provide aid to the PRC for whatever reason. It does not justify given aid to a government which spends over $30 billion annually on its military and has been consistently scrutinized over its role on the participation and encouragement of countless human rights abuse. If China really deserves the aid it should have initiated, at least attempted, or put efforts to shorten the gap between its rich and poor, not to wait for foreign aid. With a fourth place in the international GDP ranking, I'm pretty confident that China would do a splendid job to sustain a high standard of living for all its inhabitants. The fact is PRC does not even take the initiative to do that!

The Canadian government is not doing any better either by providing over $50 million in aid to PRC this year. The Canadians and their governing body should be ashame of themselves in giving direct assistance to a repressive state to further enforce and suppress fundamental human rights through many despicable acts, such as forcibly confine, arrest, imprison and torture of its own people. The only two reasons which justifies the aid, which are often discussed behind closed door, are: first, for the Chinese to uplift the many restrictions set against foreign businesses, particularly the Canadian businesses, wishing to establish a market in China, and, second, to establish a Chinese interest in the serious investment of Canadian oil industry, as stated in Forbe's article:

Aside from the trade benefits, Canada's oil sector is also attracting new investment. Through the late 1990s, total investment was just over (U.S.) $6.3 million. However, over the last two years, investment has climbed to almost $30 million. During Martin's visit last month to Asia, Canada and China signed framework agreements to facilitate Chinese investment in Canada's oil sands. China's two largest oil groups, Sinopec and the China National Petroleum Corporation, are considering purchasing significant shares in several Canadian oil firms with licenses to operate in Alberta's tar sands, including UTS Energy and Canadian Oil Sands Trust. Chinese firms are also considering investments in related infrastructure. A Chinese firm is considering a 49% stake in a $2 billion, 720-mile pipeline planned between northern Alberta and the northwest coast of British Columbia. These and other possible deals are valued at some $2 billion to $3 billion dollars.

Other than that there're not many legitimate reasons behind the aid. Please keep in mind the able-body, working-class Canadians are all paying for this aid. Yes, you and I are all paying to enforce a repressive state!