Foreign Policy published on 7 July 2025 a commentary titled "China Isn't Ready to Replace USAID" by Henry Tugendhat and James Palmer.
Now that the Trump administration has gutted the US foreign aid agency, some analysts have suggested China will fill the void. This commentary correctly points out that China has little appetite to take on a foreign aid program as large as the one run by USAID. In addition, China's domestic audience is probably even less supportive of foreign aid than the American public.
Comment: China will, however, strategically replace American foreign aid programs where it can obtain maximum advantage and favorable publicity. At relatively little cost to China, it will constantly remind developing countries that the United States is not a reliable partner.
