China was beaten in aid efforts to the Philippines by the Swedish furniture company Ikea.
USA Today reports that China initially offered aid of $100,000, but soon was criticized for such a small amount. The country then upped its amount to $1.6 million, which is still much less than anyone else.
Ikea is sending $2.7 million to help the Philippines out after typhoon Haiyan swept through and destroyed major cities and crippled the country. Other countries that are sending aid are Australia ($30 million), the United States ($20 million), U.K. ($16 million) and Japan and the United Arab Emirates ($10 million each).
"China's action illustrates the blundering nature of its foreign policy," former assistant secretary for economic policy at the Treasury Department Phillip Swagel said. "This is an unforced error for them, revealing to other countries the limits of Chinese friendship."
According to The New York Times, China received flack from international groups and a Chinese newspaper after initially donating only $100,000.
Qin Gang, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said that China had planned to give more and that the $100,000 was simply an initial amount. "An overwhelming majority of Chinese people are sympathetic with the people of the Philippines."
He also added that Haiyan had affected China too when the storm swept into southern China. Chinese state media say that eight people died.
Some wonder if the low initial amount might have to do with the poor relations the countries have with each other, especially since China donated $1.5 million to Pakistan after the earthquake there.
Another issue could be that "Chinese culture takes an incremental way of doing things so as not to cause more trouble with the domestic" audience, said Qin Yaqing, professor of international studies at the Foreign Affairs University in Beijing. Chinese internet commentators were not positive towards the idea of foreign aid.