Sino-Soviet Bloc Technical Assistance—Another Bilateral Approach

Beginning in 1953 after the death of Stalin, the Soviet bloc broke out of its economic isolationism and began a program of aid, trade, and technical assistance directed primarily at the less-developed countries on the periphery of the Communist bloc. This program is moving steadily for ward. The bloc technical assistance program is almost en tirely on a credit basis, is geographically concentrated in a few key countries, and is smaller in world-wide scale than that of the United States. The organizational and co-ordinating ar rangements seem adequate and effective. The methods used in negotiating with recipient governments are skillful and flexi ble. The bloc is also expanding its program of scholarships for students from non-Communist countries. The general eco nomic effects of bloc aid and technical assistance cannot yet be judged. The psychological effects are more apparent, and this aspect has clearly been give careful attention in the plan ning and administration of the whole program. The political effects, which are the real objective of the program, are mixed: Growing prestige of the Soviets in some areas, growing skepti cism about their purposes in others. But the long run politi cal benefits from a Soviet point of view may yet be considerable.