Asahi reported that all official development assistance (ODA) programs that Japan has carried out in China over the past four decades were completed as of yesterday, saying that although the economic aid initiatives have strengthened bonds between the two nations, they have been criticized as lacking transparency. Tokyo has reportedly committed roughly 3.6 trillion yen ($29.6 billion) in ODA for China starting in 1979, including 3.3 trillion yen ($27 billion) in loans. Although Japan’s generous economic aid initiatives have helped China build infrastructure and improve the environment, the paper added that the ODA’s goal of promoting democracy there remains elusive.