Why it matters: While the Trump administration frames the cuts as trimming waste and putting “America First,” they’ve resulted in a power vacuum that China is quickly filling. Through infrastructure deals, vaccine shipments, and food donations, China is steadily cementing long-term influence in regions central to global supply chains, military access, and future alliances.
The erosion of US foreign aid also chips away at two of America’s biggest assets: national security and soft power. Foreign assistance has long been a tool to shape global norms, secure trade access, and project stability without firing a shot. As the US pulls back, it loses leverage in trade deals, multilateral negotiations, and peacekeeping, especially as other nations grow more aligned with China.
Despite the cost-cutting rhetoric, the blowback could be felt domestically. Foreign aid often opens markets for US businesses and helps stabilize regions that would otherwise require costly military or emergency intervention. Walking away now could mean fewer trade opportunities, more global volatility, and a lasting decline in American influence, all while China quietly builds more.
Source: China steps in as US pulls back from diplomacy, report says [Reuters]
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