Soft power

Will USAid shutdown surrender ground to China?

Helen Davidson, Amy Hawkins

Trump’s shutdown of USAid has already had disastrous effects on humanitarian aid and development programmes around the world, but it has also ceded ground to the US’s chief rival, China, analysts have said. The result of the sudden 90-day suspension of USAid funding – which accounts for 40% of global foreign aid – has been chaos: employees locked out of offices, humanitarian shipments left to rot and lifesaving assistance stopped. Development programmes previously assisted by USAid are panicking, warning of disastrous risks of escalating famine, death and disease. Trump’s plan involves the merger of the more than 60-year-old USAid into the state department, shrinking its workforce and aligning its spending with his priorities. But analysts say it is working against one key priority – countering China. “[The US is handing]…

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Guardian Weekly (Digital) - 1 Issue, 14 February 2025

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