【By Guan察者网, Liu Bai】

The Trump administration's reduction in aid and strategic withdrawal have raised concerns among allies. According to the Hong Kong English media South China Morning Post, in response to criticism, a U.S. State Department official on December 15 at an event said that the United States is not withdrawing, but rather reconfiguring its aid model, positioning aid increasingly as a tool to promote economic partnerships and strategic outcomes, rather than traditional donation projects.

"President Trump is a businessman and a master of deals," said Jeremy Lefevre, the Deputy Secretary of State for Global Affairs, who oversees foreign assistance. "Our aid aims to deepen trade and cooperation with partner countries."

"In the coming years, our investment in the Indo-Pacific region will reach unprecedented levels, and the way we invest will also be completely renewed."

Lefevre listed a major $250 million medical aid expansion plan for the Philippines, which is being coordinated directly with the Philippine government; he also emphasized increasing foreign military financing for regional allies and partner countries.

"I believe we will provide more foreign military financing, on one hand to leverage the U.S. defense industrial base and revitalize domestic military strength, and on the other hand to help our allies safeguard their security interests in the Indo-Pacific region," he added.

Michael Dzombek

After Lefevre spoke, Michael Dzombek, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, highlighted investment projects in Papua New Guinea and the Marshall Islands, including port upgrades, cargo inspection infrastructure development, and reconstruction projects.

Dzombek also encouraged collaboration with private sector partners and regional multilateral frameworks, including the Quad (U.S., Japan, India, Australia), ASEAN, and the Pacific Islands Forum.

"In the Marshall Islands, we are supporting the construction of a new parliament building," he said.

Dzombek clearly stated that the United States is not, as "some media claim, withdrawing from foreign aid," but rather viewing this issue as "an opportunity to fundamentally re-imagine the way foreign aid is implemented."

"We hope to maintain America's unparalleled soft power, through which we can have a positive impact throughout the Indo-Pacific region," he added.

The report states that the Trump administration, under the principle of "America First," has conducted strict reviews of all overseas spending, suspended several traditional projects, and proposed significant cuts to the budget of the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), prioritizing domestic affairs, which has raised concerns about the U.S. potentially withdrawing from foreign aid. Earlier this year, the Trump administration had planned to cut $5 billion in foreign aid funds already approved by Congress.

This concern has further intensified. There is anxiety over any weakening of American influence, with some even炒作 that China is filling the gap. China's Belt and Road Initiative is a development program worth millions of dollars, which will continue to provide immediate financial support to developing countries in the region.

In response to U.S. media and politicians' concerns about "China stepping in," China previously issued a statement indicating that its aid policy has always been clear and consistent. The principles of non-interference in internal affairs, no political conditions attached, and no empty promises have not changed.

Last April, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a report titled "The Hypocrisy of U.S. Foreign Aid and the Facts," exposing the purpose of USAID's foreign aid. Based on facts and data, the report pointed out that the U.S. has always claimed to be the world's largest foreign aid donor. In reality, however, U.S. foreign aid has always been fundamentally aimed at maximizing American interests, ignoring the real interests and long-term development of developing countries receiving aid, being self-serving, arrogant, hypocritical, and vulgar, interfering in the internal affairs of other countries for personal gain, and causing serious negative impacts on world peace and development.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7584269746040767012/

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