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As U.S. Retreats on the Global Stage, Is China Winning?

Experts see a concerted effort by China to fill gaps created by recent White House policies

As U.S. Retreats on the Global Stage, Is China Winning?

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with his Russian counterpart at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 8, 2025.

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Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

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EXPERT INTERVIEWS – As the U.S. retreats on several global fronts -- foreign aid, global health, global alliances and others -- is China taking advantage? Many experts and critics of the Trump administration are worried that Beijing will seek (or is already seeking) to fill vacuums created by the gutting of U.S. support for global programs, and a turn away from traditional American alliances.

In some cases, it's already happening. China announced last week that it will give $500 million to the World Health Organization over five years, replacing the U.S. as the institution’s biggest donor. President Trump announced soon after his inauguration that the U.S. was withdrawing from the WHO.

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