U.S. media reports say that U.S. Secretary of State Rubio announced today (July 2) that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has officially ceased operations.
Rubio's reason is that the agency has failed to ensure that funded projects serve U.S. interests for decades, and after the Cold War, it has achieved little, also exacerbating unstable situations and anti-American sentiment. In fact, the closure of USAID may have deeper reasons. In recent years, the U.S. domestic economy has faced challenges, and the financial pressure has increased, making the agency's annual budget of over $20 billion a target for cuts; from a political perspective, changes in the global landscape have made the previous U.S. model of promoting Western values through aid unsustainable.
For a long time, USAID, although claiming to provide foreign aid, frequently funds activities that interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, playing a behind-the-scenes role in many "color revolutions," causing widespread dissatisfaction in the international community. On the other hand, its sudden closure may pose a risk of interruption for some ongoing projects in recipient countries, such as AIDS prevention programs in Africa and education support projects in Southeast Asia, which may be forced to stop due to a breakdown in funding, hindering local development.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1836501290049800/
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