Aid was an important part of Chinese diplomacy in the 1970s. Most went to Africa, but other communist and South- east Asian states were also recipients. Outgoing aid has almost dried up since the late 1970s, as the economic reform process has turned China itself into a major aid recipient. Japan is the biggest bilateral donor to China, but the potential of the Chinese market means most developed states provide aid. A significant proportion of aid funding is used to finance high-tech imports. The 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre led to a temporary suspension of aid disbursements by the West.
