After the Trump administration ordered the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for Global Media in March, Chinese state media increased their international presence, taking advantage of the vacuum left by Voice of America and other U.S. news outlets.
The Wall Street Journal points out that the executive order reduced the budget by about $900 million, causing layoffs, suspensions and the closure of international programs. In countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and even North Korea, U.S. broadcasts have been reduced or discontinued, leaving room for the pro-China narrative focused on development, stability, and economic cooperation, in stark contrast to the democratic themes promoted by VOA.
In Asia, the Chinese presence is favored by the strong diaspora and economic interests in the region. In Africa, CGTN and China Radio International have expanded their programming in local languages (such as Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo) to reach a wider audience amid massive Chinese investment in infrastructure and trade.
Trump’s decision to cut funding was justified as a measure to reduce waste and align content with U.S. foreign policy goals. However, many critics-in the United States and abroad-argue that it has weakened American influence, particularly in authoritarian countries where VOA was a rare source of independent information.
Broadcasts in China, Iran, and North Korea were among the hardest hit. In North Korea, for example, nightly radio programming was cut off, despite the fact that it represented one of the few sources of outside news for the population.
Kari Lake, Trump’s appointee to lead the agency, accused VOA of being politicized and inefficient, while Chinese media and officials welcomed the downsizing as an ideological victory. According to the Wall Street Journal, an independent review in 2024 confirmed that services in Russian, Chinese, and Persian were generally fair and accurate, despite some shortcomings.
A federal judge ordered the partial restoration of programming. However, Trump’s proposed budget for next year calls for a permanent shutdown of the agency. Some Republicans are pushing for the creation of a leaner agency to maintain an American media presence around the world.
