MIM Notes No. 198, November 15, 1999

Maoist principles of foreign economic aid

MIM promotes the Maoist principles of foreign economic aid. 
The Chinese government under Mao had eight principles of foreign 
economic aid (from the Fundamentals of Political Economy):

1. Provide foreign aid according to the principle of equality 
and mutual benefit. Do not regard aid as a one-way gift. Regard 
aid as mutual assistance.

2. In providing foreign aid, strictly respect the sovereignty 
of the recipient country. Attach no strings and ask for no 
privileges.

3. Provide economic aid without interest or at low interests. 
When necessary, lengthen the period of loan repayment to lessen 
the burden on the recipient country.

4. The purpose of aid is not to create the recipient country's 
dependence on China but to help it to advance on the road of self- 
reliance and independent economic development.

5. Projects chosen for aid in the recipient country should 
require low investment and short gestation so that the aid 
recipient country can increase its income and accumulation.

6. Provide the best possible equipment and raw materials we 
produce and negotiate prices according to the international market 
conditions. If the equipment and raw materials provided do not 
meet the agreed specifications and quality, their return is 
guaranteed.

7. In providing any form of technical aid, guarantee that the 
personnel of the recipient country will fully master this 
technical know-how.

8. Experts sent to the recipient country to help with 
construction should receive the same material treatment as the 
experts of the recipient country. No special requirements or 
treatment are allowed.

Only with a socialist system in place where a dictatorship of 
the proletariat can enact policies in the interests of the 
proletariat will it be possible to put these policies into place. 
Until that time, the imperialists will continue their attempts to 
plunder the resources and labor of the majority of the world's 
people. But sometimes we can force concessions from the 
imperialists along the road to socialism. MIM supports the 
struggle to force the imperialists to relieve the debt burden of 
the Third World.