The Economist published on 27 November 2025 an article titled "The Changing Shape of Chinese Aid to Africa."
Since COVID-19, China has stepped up its aid to health care in Africa as the United States withdraws its support. The US says it remains committed to being "the world's health leader" by routing assistance mainly through recipient country governments.
Comment: It is still too early in the Trump administration to judge if the new US approach will work as predicted. With the dismantlement of the US Agency for International Development, there are no longer field personnel to monitor aid programs, and it is questionable if State Department personnel at embassies abroad have the bandwidth to do this.
