CGTN poll: U.S. Foreign Aid Bill destabilizes the world

U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed into law a $95 billion foreign aid bill after the Congress gave its final approval Tuesday night.‬‬ According to a global online survey by CGTN, nearly 90 percent (89.87%) of global respondents believe that U.S. foreign aid has always taken maximizing the interests of the U.S. as its fundamental starting and ending point, while ignoring the practical interests and long-term development of recipient developing countries. As a CGTN netizen says, "Don't expect them (the U.S.) to build a society in other parts of the world. That is just a false facade which they have to showcase for the world to keep its dollar dominance, for the world to keep subscribing to its debt deficits."

According to the bill, the U.S. will provide more than $60 billion to Ukraine and more than $26 billion to Israel. U.S. media revealed that as of January 2023, the U.S. commitment to Ukraine amounted to $76.8 billion, 40 percent of which is used for the mandatory purchase of U.S. equipment and training services. In the survey, as many as 94.92 percent pf the respondents believe that U.S. foreign aid has long been linked with the interests of arms dealers, and the U.S has been making war profits through humanitarian crises. 89.34 percent of respondents worry that U.S. military aid to countries or regions in conflict will further exacerbate regional tensions.

It should be noted that the bill provides more than $8 billion in assistance to "Indo-Pacific security," including "foreign military financing" Taiwan Region, China. The U.S. has seriously violated the one-China principle and wantonly interfered in China's internal affairs. A CGTN netizen comments "If American politicians and military bases are kept out of the world, we will enjoy peace."

Creating conflict where there is no conflict is a long-standing practice of U.S. foreign aid. WikiLeaks released documents showing that the U.S. has provided various assistance to al-Qaeda in order to overthrow the Gaddafi regime in Libya. In the poll, 93.15 percent of the respondents point out that the U.S., under the banner of aid, has provoked regional conflicts and subverted national regimes, bringing about seriously negative impacts on world peace and development. As a CGTN user put it, "The U.S. is behind all the wars that have broken out and are about to break out in the world, and sometimes it is even a direct participant in the conflicts. The U.S. is a partner in the genocide of the Palestinian people and a direct participant in the Russian-Ukrainian war."

As of 2019, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), one of the specialized aid agencies in the U.S., had approved 37 agreements involving 29 countries with a total value of more than $14 billion. The articles of such agreements require its partner to meet the standards set by the U.S. for political reform and democratization. In the survey, 85.25 percent of the respondents criticize the U.S. for attaching harsh conditions that undermine the sovereignty and dignity of the recipient countries, and for wantonly pointing fingers at the recipient countries' internal affairs. 88.68 percent people say that the U.S., in the name of aid for a long time, has infiltrated recipient countries in various ways, imposed American values and the "democratic model" on others. Therefore, the recipient countries have suffered from numerous internal conflicts.

The U.S. pledged to provide at least $100 billion in climate aid annually to developing countries until 2020. However, this commitment has yet to be fulfilled. According to the poll, 93.15 believe that although the U.S. has repeatedly boasted its "contribution" as the world's largest aid donor, it has never fully met its international responsibilities.

The poll, published by CGTN in English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian platforms, received responses from 9,534 people in 24 hours.