China steps in as US pulls back from diplomacy

Reuters :

China is increasing its diplomatic reach as President Donald Trump’s administration pares back America’s international presence, Democrats from the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee said in a report released on Monday.

The report, the result of months of staff travel and research, was released as the Trump administration makes deep cuts to the State Department, including beginning on Friday to fire more than 1,350 US-based employees, part of a total reduction of nearly 3,000 people for the US-based workforce.

The administration has also cut billions of dollars in foreign aid, effectively shutting down the US Agency for International Development, leading to the firing of thousands of its employees and contractors.

Critics said the cuts would undermine Washington’s ability to defend and promote US interests abroad. Research published in The Lancet medical journal said the cuts to USAID and its dismantling could result in more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030.

The Trump administration says its changes help align foreign policy with Trump’s “America First” agenda, and are part of a push to shrink the federal bureaucracy and cut what Trump officials say has been wasteful spending.

The Democrats’ 91-page report listed ways, from broadcasting to health programmes and development efforts, that committee researchers said China is expanding its influence.