As U.S. Foreign Assistance Retreats, Will China Step In?

Tributes are placed beneath the covered seal of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) at their headquarters in Washington, DC, on February 7, 2025. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)

A widely shared Politico article argued on Monday that “China is quickly making moves to fill in gaps left behind by the Trump administration’s abrupt moves to almost entirely halt and wind down USAID operations worldwide, from the Indo-Pacific to South America.” 

The article cites examples in Nepal, the Cook Islands, and Colombia. But how does this issue look more broadly?

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by CGSP Staff

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