The devastation in the Philippines has prompted various nations to provide aid. Reuters has a rundown on what a number of countries are doing.

The U.S. contribution is the most substantial and, in the case of the naval aircraft and ships, the most irreplaceable: “The UNITED STATES is providing $20 million in immediate humanitarian assistance and has sent a team of about 90 Marines and sailors, part of a first wave of promised U.S. military assistance. An aircraft carrier and four other Navy ships set sail for the Philippines from Hong Kong on Tuesday.”

But others are stepping forward as well. Australia is contributing a $9.3 million package of aid, Britain $16 million, Japan $10 million, UAE $10 million. Even the Vatican is pledging $4 million worth of help.

And what is the second-largest economy in the world doing? “The CHINESE government is providing $100,000 and the Chinese Red Cross a further $100,000.”

That is a stunningly small sum from such a large and increasingly powerful country. It is also a missed opportunity for China to get back into the good graces of Filipinos after tensions flared during a confrontation between the Chinese and Filipino navy over Chinese claims in the South China Sea.

China may be getting richer and more powerful but this is an indication that its exercise of “soft power” lags far behind not only the U.S. but also lesser powers such as Britain and Australia.