Analysis

Can China Replace USAID?

The ideological and economic concerns that make Beijing wary of development assistance. July 7, 2025, 7:00 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

An illustration of a red coin purse with the stars of the Chinese flag. A chain wraps around the purse with a globe decal on the end of it.

Editor’s note: This piece was updated for publication in the Fall 2025 issue.

Since the Trump administration began to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), many commentators have seen an opportunity for China. They argue that Beijing will “ fill the void ” left by Washington and is “ cheering ” the destruction of the agency. Fear of China supplanting U.S. foreign aid has been a growing concern among U.S. analysts for years, and Ch

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