U.S. looks to boost anti-China spending worldwide by hundreds of millions of dollars, documents say
PBS News Hour – Politics — 2026-07-28 17:44:00 — www.pbs.org
Trump Administration Reverses Course, Plans Major Spending to Counter China After Previous Cuts
The Trump administration is preparing to dramatically increase funding for programs aimed at countering China’s global influence, just a year after halting many of those same initiatives during a period of aggressive budget and personnel reductions.
According to documents obtained by the Associated Press, the administration notified Congress that it intends to spend $175.8 million to replace outdated undersea telecommunications cables in the Caribbean and Central America. The move is designed to prevent China from gaining a strategic foothold in the region’s digital infrastructure.
This renewed focus comes after the Trump administration had previously slashed funding for such efforts, including dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development and eliminating hundreds of diplomatic posts worldwide. Many projects specifically aimed at blunting Chinese influence were paused or canceled during these cuts.
Despite these earlier reductions, the administration now expresses deep concern about China’s activities in the Americas, including Chinese ownership of key ports, infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road initiative, and investments in the telecommunications sector. The administration’s position is that China’s economic activities pose risks to U.S. national security and prosperity.
The State Department is also considering nearly half a billion dollars more in spending for anti-China programs across the Western Hemisphere, Africa, and Asia. Many of these initiatives are intended to “reclaim diplomatic leverage” in areas where the U.S. had previously withdrawn support.
Trump’s approach to China has been marked by inconsistency. As the article notes, “Trump has oscillated between anger and elation with Xi,” seeking to cultivate the Chinese leader as an ally even as China pursues goals at odds with U.S. interests. The administration’s posture has ranged from public displays of cooperation to reluctance to pressure China, particularly after Trump claimed Chinese interference in U.S. elections.
The administration’s shifting stance and the abrupt reversal of previous cuts highlight ongoing contradictions in its China policy. While the new spending is intended to blunt Chinese influence, it follows a period in which the Trump administration’s own actions undermined U.S. efforts abroad.
The ultimate impact of these new programs remains uncertain and will not be known for months or years. However, the administration’s record of abrupt policy changes and contradictory positions raises questions about the effectiveness and consistency of its strategy to counter China’s global ambitions.