The United States’ development agenda in the Global South is increasingly dominated by the determination to contain China’s global influence. This became clear during budget testimony on Wednesday by Samantha Power, the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) at the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
While the crisis in Ukraine loomed large, committee members frequently returned to the theme of China’s rising sway in the developing world. For example, in his opening statement the head of the committee, the Texas Republican Michael McCaul, remarked: