China has always been open to international aid but more coordination is needed to improve efficiency in the use of that aid, commented a UK official, responsible for development projects in China, in an recent interview with People's Daily Online.

China's willingness to accept new ideas and practices makes it a "joy" to work with on aid and development, said Adrian Davis, Head of North and East Asia of the Department for Internal Development(DFID), the British agency focusing on overseas aid programs.

The DFID has worked with China over the past ten years on health and education. So it is "not unusual" for China to work with other countries on aid and development projects in China. Although, it was unusual that China asked for international aid in a large natural disaster like the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan. "The openness will continue," he believes.

Mr. Davis thinks one problem still remains to be addressed when China requests and uses the aid. The "real challenge," he said, is coordination. Different government departments in China may ask different agencies providing aid to countries for the same thing. That may lead to duplicated efforts and involve people who may not be well-suited for the task.

Coordination is also important for distributing assistance. When help floods in from so many government departments and people - such as twinning with Sichuan or sending volunteers - a lack of coordination may produce less effective results.

The DFID relies on the Ministry of Commerce of China to coordinate the British government's support for the quake relief. "We have the records as to which areas they (the tents) have gone to from the Chengdu airport. We are confident they will be well used," said Mr. Davis.