USAID freeze hamstrings programmes in Thailand, Vietnam and beyond

The halt on foreign aid from the U.S. Agency for International Development is squeezing health, demining and education initiatives across Southeast Asia while giving China an opportunity to fill the gap. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration in January ordered a 90-day freeze on foreign aid, arguing that the "foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests." "By increasing its support for Southeast Asia, China wants to make the case that it will engage with the region over the long term, while creating discourse about the unreliability of U.S. foreign policy," said Kei Koga, an associate professor in the public policy and global affairs program at Singapore's NTU.  

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