Germany is poised to stop millions of euros in development aid to China and India, its new development minister Dirk Niebel was quoted as saying on Friday. "Battling poverty is more important than ever for Germany. That means we should place our resources where they can help the most. Economic giants like China and India no longer fulfil these criteria," Niebel told the Bild daily.
Germany, the world's second largest provider of development aid after the United States, gave 67.5 million euros (97.4 million dollars) in aid to China in 2007 and 84 million euros to India in 2008, according to its most recent report. In 2008, the previous development minister, Social Democrat Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, had said that Germany would replace financial aid to China with advice and what it called "economic partnership". Niebel was sworn in on Wednesday as part of the cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel, who formed a new coalition with the pro-business Free Democrats following an election victory on September 27.