The UK’s aid relationship with China up to 2023-24

A factual account of trends in UK aid to China from 2019 until 2023-24.

  1. Status: Completed
  2. Published: 21 March 2024
  3. Type: Information note
  4. Subject: Transitioning development partnerships
  5. Location: China
  6. Lead commissioner: Sir Hugh Bayley

Latest news

We have published an update on the UK’s aid engagement with China. This looks at changes in UK aid to China up to 2023-24, and follows previous ICAI information notes on this area after the government pledged a drastic reduction in China aid spending in 2021.

Summary

In April 2021 we published our information note, The UK’s aid engagement with China, and identified four lines of inquiry that merited further scrutiny, including improving transparency and the use of ‘development diplomacy’. Since then, we have published three updates including this latest one, to track whether aid to China is falling as expected and monitor the government’s progress on issues ICAI has highlighted such as transparency.

Timeline

Original information note published

28 April 2021

First update published

21 July 2021

Parliamentary scrutiny

IDC hearing 22 September 2021

Second update published

13 July 2023

Third update published

21 March 2024