quite the tragedy.

i wonder how much the world's powers will contribute in aid to help deal with the ensuing humanitarian crisis. sadly, i suspect very little.

will the PRC again contribute less than Taiwan?

the U.S. has already pledged a heroic $250,000. if this amount remains constant, and if China pledges an amount proportionate to its per-U.S. contribution in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami, Myanmar can expect a check for just over $12 from its neighbor any day now.

i don't believe 15K people died in New Orleans

@Anonymous

It is not about body count. link

Anonymous I did say "a teensy bit rich".

Maybe Danwei is responsible for not warning Laura about George before they got married.

b,

I didn't know you could not count. According to Wikipedia, the link you provided, mainland China initially pledged 63.07 million USD and then added another 20 million USD. Taiwan plugged 50 million USD.

$250,000 was heroic, coming from the US, the biggest economy in the world, who spends a whopping 600 billion a year on its military? Wow.

Heck, China even pledged $5 million after Katrina. Heroic?

"I didn't know you could not count."

Pfeffer, seriously, why is it all of your comments have to be written in insult form?

At least judging by the statistics provided, B was quite correct. Firstly, as a percentage of GDP, Taiwan's contribution is much higher. Secondly, private donations from Taiwanese citizens were much higher. Thirdly, the total donation from the public, NGOs and the government from Taiwan was much higher. China's donation is only higher if you only count the government contibutions and exclude all others.

And in the end, why do you care what B says?

Let's have some civility for a change.

@FOARP

As percentage to GDP, isn't U.S much lower?

Going back to the tsunami of a couple years ago, talking about percentage of GDP etc. wouldn't even come close to showing the effectiveness of the US efort. No other country had the sheer number of helicopters to airlift supplies. Aircraft carriers were not only turned into floating hospitals but also floating canteens and were a source of much needed clean water.

"As percentage to GDP, isn't U.S much lower?"

Your point being? As a percentage of GNP my home country's donation was higher than the US (by a factor of two), China(by a factor of at least ten) or Taiwan. However, what does this matter? What we should care about is something is done to genuinely help the people of Burma now.

@FOARP

"What we should care about is something is done to genuinely help the people of Burma now."

That is also my point.

But it's really your point? Based on b./Pffefer/your followups, I don't think so.

Pfeffer

note again my juxtaposition of the word "heroic" with the sum "$250,000."

FOARP,

With cynical folks like that, why do you need civility? And please, it is b/ who brought up the topic about who pledged how much, in his effort to ridicule China. What? You can't take what you shell out?

BTW, in case you guys missed it, China just pledged $500,000 worth of relief supplies plus another $500,000 in cash.

"BTW, in case you guys missed it, China just pledged $500,000 worth of relief supplies plus another $500,000 in cash."

How magnanimous. I suspect they were embarrassed by countries thousands of miles away taking the lead in assisting one of Beijing's despot buddies, not to mention geographical neighbours.

Either that, or my own post got them to pull their fingers out.

stuart - exactly.

I think Korea, Thailand and others who, with China, are milking Burma's oil via state-owned oil companies, should be ashamed with such a paltry offering. Friends in good times and bad I should think.

Stuart and Mike,

I actually agree with you that China should have pledged a lot more than $1 million USD, after all China gave $5 million to the US after Katrina.

Please be assured once China is as filty rich as the US it will be more generous than the US.

pfeffer - a quick look at its foreign currency reserved would tell you china is well on its way to being as filthy rich as the US.

@Mike

The foreign currency reserved, especially mainly USD, is a burden for China. Within one year, China's wealth, accumulated through selling low and middle end products and buying high end products, importing pollution and exporting clean, evaporates 16%.

It's U.S who get rich (or keep rich) on this, by paper printing money and consuming with arrogancy. Foreign currency reserved is unpaid creditor's rights, and who thinks U.S is able to pay it?

Using China's foreign currency reserved as proof of China's filthy rich is ignorant. Try other proof please.