From Military.com:
“China Swoops In to Replace
Asian USAID Projects Axed by Trump”
The U.S. canceled two aid
projects in Cambodia in late February — one to encourage child literacy and
another to improve nutrition and development for kids under five. A week later,
China’s aid agency announced funding for programs to achieve almost identical
goals. “Children are the future of the country and the nation,” China’s
ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin said at the event, standing next to the
country’s health minister and a UNICEF official. “We should care for the
healthy growth of children together.” While China’s announcement didn’t include
a dollar figure, the Chinese money essentially funds the same types of
initiatives and development goals as efforts terminated as part of the Trump
administration’s dismantling of USAID, according to two people with knowledge
of the U.S. projects, who weren’t authorized to speak publicly. Both focused on
“inclusive education” and the “most vulnerable children,” according to news
releases and procurement documents. They both provided school supplies,
offering hand-washing materials and improving outcomes for “vulnerable”
families and households, newborns and children with disabilities, according to
the people.
The price tag for the U.S.
programs — $40 million — was small compared with the $27.7 billion in savings
the Trump administration said this week it saved by axing thousands of aid
contracts. But for Cambodia, whose national GDP is roughly equivalent to that
Vermont, it was a big sum, and replacing lost foreign funds has been a
priority.
The State Department, which
oversees USAID and may now absorb the agency entirely, said in a statement that
the U.S. was funding aid programs that make Americans wealthier and more
secure. At the same time, it said the U.S. had achieved “significant progress”
by investing in Cambodia’s development over the past 30 years, “partnering
closely” with the government. “Despite changes in the U.S. approach to foreign
assistance, we hope to see our relationship with Cambodia productively mature
as we make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” the department added
in the statement.
The contracts were terminated on
Feb. 26 after President Donald Trump and adviser Elon Musk launched a sweeping
overhaul of U.S. foreign assistance, which included dismantling the U.S. Agency
for International Development. Although it’s only one example, it appears to
confirm fears voiced by Democratic and some Republican lawmakers, aid advocates
and former U.S. officials: By slashing foreign aid, Trump is giving China an
easy opportunity to fill a vacuum and gain a soft-power advantage in countries
where the global adversaries compete for influence. That’s especially urgent in
Cambodia, where the U.S. has spent roughly $1 billion since the 1990s.
Washington has long waged an uphill battle with China in Southeast Asia, and
Cambodia in particular. The Biden administration raised concerns about Chinese
military influence at the country’s Ream Naval Base over the last four years. But
more recently, the U.S. has moved to strengthen defense ties with the
government in Phnom Penh, which granted an American warship access to Ream for
the first time late last year.
‘Diplomatic Gift’ “It’s a
diplomatic gift” to China, said Charles Kenny, a senior fellow at the Center
for Global Development. “In every country where there’s a serious USAID cut, if
they put a small amount of money into a health and education project and say,
‘Look, we’re ramping up,’ that does seem to be a bit of a publicity gift for
them. And I’m sure they’re smart enough to take it.” Since the Trump
administration moved to shut down USAID, terminate most of its foreign aid
contracts, and furlough or place on leave most of its employees, U.S.
lawmakers, development experts and national security professionals have
highlighted the geopolitical risks of curtailing US foreign aid in the
developing world. Many of those lawmakers and experts have warned that
China could move in, gaining further influence over developing nations after
wooing officials in Africa, Asia and South America for years with tens of
billions in loans focused mostly on infrastructure through Beijing’s Belt and
Road Initiative.
And it certainly has. China
already announced funding for a Cambodian de-mining initiative that was
dropped, and later restored, by the U.S. In mid-March, Beijing also announced
an early childhood development project in Rwanda, where USAID recently curtailed
contracts. And Chinese officials have reportedly offered to make up for funding
gaps in Nepal, nestled between India and China. Will Parks, the Cambodia
representative for the United Nations Children’s Fund, said in a statement that
the organization and Cambodia signed a partnership with China in 2024, based on
a proposal from 2022. It was launched earlier this month and “complements”
funding from other nations, Parks said. “Cambodia has made tremendous progress
for children over the past decade,” he said. “But further reductions of aid
budgets could jeopardize these hard-won achievements.”
Cambodia’s government was
explicit about drawing a link. “The Cambodian government works with many
partners, and we never rely on any one partner exclusively,” government
spokesman Pen Bona said via text message in response to questions. “So if one
partner withdraws support, we seek to find another partner to replace it.” China
“will continue to provide assistance to economic and social development” in
Cambodia “under the framework of South-South cooperation,” the Chinese Foreign
Ministry said in a statement. “China’s aid policy remains consistent and
clear,” the Foreign Ministry continued. “China’s principles of
non-interference, not attaching any political strings, not giving empty
promises remain unchanged.”
In a closed-door hearing on
Capitol Hill this month, Trump appointee Pete Marocco, who led the assault on
USAID, was asked about the Cambodia projects and the timing of China’s swift
announcement, according to one person familiar with the session. Marocco
brushed off concerns about China increasing its influence, this person said. Marocco
did not respond to a request for comment.
While Trump’s team have said the
canceled projects brought no benefits to Americans, Diana Putman, who retired
as USAID’s acting assistant administrator for Africa, said the agency’s
billions in foreign assistance helped give US ambassadors a crucial advantage. “Their
leverage and ability to make a difference in terms of foreign policy in that
country is backed up by the money that they bring, and in the Global South that
money is primarily the money that USAID has,” Putman said.
^ Trump, MAGA and DOGE eliminating
USAID and other Foreign Funding from the US only gives Countries like China,
Russia, Iran, etc. to come in and gain influence these Countries and People against
the United States. ^
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