Foreign News
Trump’s assault on USAID leaves China soft power opening in Southeast Asia
As the United States winds back humanitarian assistance in Southeast Asia, its rival China may see an opportunity to expand its influence in a region where it has directed billions of dollars in investment and aid, analysts say.
In a little over three weeks since US President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Washington has frozen nearly all foreign aid and moved to effectively abolish the US Agency for International Development (USAID), a longstanding source of soft power in the region.
USAID, the biggest disburser of US foreign aid, spent $860m in Southeast Asia alone last year, funding projects on everything from treating HIV to preserving biodiversity and strengthening local governance.
Many projects, which run primarily through grants to local NGOs, face an uncertain future as the Trump administration pulls the US back from the world stage as part of his “America first” agenda.
For Beijing, the circumstances provide an ideal opportunity for it to step in, said Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations.
“The suspension of health, education, and humanitarian programmes – key pillars of US soft power – may create vacuums that China can fill,” Huang told Al Jazeera.
“This strategic retreat could strengthen Beijing’s influence across the region, particularly in current US aid recipients like Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Cambodia.”
As the Trump administration generated headlines with its moves to gut USAID last week, Beijing made news by stepping in with $4.4m to fund a de-mining project in Cambodia that had been left in the lurch by Washington.
Heng Ratana, head of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, told the Khmer Times newspaper the Chinese aid would help his organisation clear more than 3,400 hectares (8,400 acres) of land filled with landmines and unexploded ordnance.
China’s embassies in the US, Cambodia and Thailand did not respond to Al Jazeera’s requests for comment.
Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, said USAID’s demise comes as US influence in the region is waning more generally and as China scales up its public diplomacy.
Southeast Asian leaders are concerned about “chaotic policymaking” in the US, Kurlantzick told Al Jazeera, particularly in countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand, where the US devotes significant aid and security assistance.
“Beijing is indeed already portraying the US as uncaring and unable to lead regionally or globally and I expect Beijing to increase its aid and investment now in many parts of the developing world,” Kurlantzick told Al Jazeera.
While the future of many USAID programmes in the region is unclear, some analysts believe that China is likely to leave projects with a more political or ideological focus to other partners to the region, such as the European Union, Australia, Japan or the Asian Development Project, a Manila-based regional development bank.
“China’s existing international aid or international development programme is quite sizeable. But it happens to be quite different from what USAID does in that the latter seems to be devoting a lot of resources to ideology-based initiatives, for democracy, for LGBTQ, for diversity, for inclusiveness, for climate change,” John Gong, a professor of economics at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, told Al Jazeera.
“Whether China is going to step into the void vacated by the United States, I am very sceptical. We are talking about different things here. And besides, I don’t think the Chinese government is keen on competing with Washington on this front,” Gong said.
China’s foreign assistance has been heavily geared towards infrastructure, as laid out in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Beijing’s flagship infrastructure investment project estimated to be worth more than $1 trillion.
Other projects, such as its hospital ship Peace Ark, have provided medical assistance.
Almost all of China’s foreign aid to Southeast Asia – some 85 percent – has taken the form of non-concessional loans with a focus on energy and transport, according to Grace Stanhope, a research associate at the Lowy Institute’s Indo-Pacific Development Centre.
Beijing’s infrastructure-heavy approach has made it a visible presence in the region, albeit not always a popular one, Stanhope told Al Jazeera, due to delays and “blow-out” budgets for projects such as the East Coast Rail Link in Malaysia and Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail line in Indonesia.
Some critics have referred to these and other projects as a form of “debt-trap” diplomacy intended to breed dependency on China, a charge Beijing has denied.
In a survey carried out by the Singapore-based Iseas Yusof-Ishak Institute last year, 59.5 percent of respondents across 10 Southeast Asian countries chose China as the most influential economic power in the region.
Just over half, however, expressed distrust of China, with 45.5 percent fearing that China could threaten their country economically or militarily. Japan was seen as the “most trusted” major power, followed by the US and the EU.
Though heavily focused on infrastructure, China has been slowly trying to shift its model of assistance towards more “soft” aid such as public health, agriculture and digitisation, said Joanne Lin, a senior fellow at the Iseas Yusof-Ishak Institute’s ASEAN studies centre in Singapore.
“The extent of China’s aid will of course depend on China’s economic ability as it is facing constraints such as its slowing growth and trade tensions with Washington which may limit its ability to replace US aid in full,” Lin told Al Jazeera.
Lin said Southeast Asian countries prefer a “diversified approach” to foreign aid and development assistance that is not dependent on a single donor – whether the US or China.
Despite its high-profile presence in Southeast Asia, China has been scaling back its development assistance in the region in recent years.
While China was the region’s top donor from 2015 to 2019, it has since slid to fourth place, according to the Lowy Institute.
Funding has similarly dried up, falling from $10bn in 2017 to $3bn in 2022, according to the think tank.
China faces its own problems at home, including slowing economic growth and high youth unemployment, that could limit its focus on affairs overseas, said Steve Balla, an associate professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University.
“The domestic issues may serve to limit [Chinese President Xi Jinping’s] attention to international affairs. The issues with Belt and Road may limit the regime’s options for how to step into spaces left by the US,” Balla told Al Jazeera.
Bethany Allen, head of programme for China Investigations and Analysis at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, expressed a similar sentiment.
“China is already capitalising on US disengagement in the first Trump era by deepening its economic, diplomatic and cultural influence in Southeast Asia. Initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, Confucius, and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Mechanism are tools for expanding soft power,” Allen told Al Jazeera, referring to a global programme to promote the study of Chinese language and culture, and a forum to promote cooperation between China and the Mekong subregion.
“However, China’s lowering economic growth means slowing BRI, resulting in the country’s soft power project might be less aggressive than in the past decade. High-profile debt concerns and pushback against Chinese influence [in Malaysia and Indonesia] also limit its appeal,” she said.
[Aljazeera]
Emergency evacuations are taking place in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands as a super typhoon bears down on the US Pacific territories.
Bavi is forecast to make landfall early on Monday morning, with winds of up to 257km/h (160mph), according to the US National Weather Service (NWS).
It warned the “very dangerous” storm could cause “catastrophic” damage, with “significant flooding from torrential rains” possible and waves potentially nearly 11m (35ft) high on Monday.
The western Pacific region is particularly prone to tropical cyclones. While storms of this strength are unusual for the US islands, scientists say climate change is making powerful typhoons more common.
Bavi is expected to pass directly over Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands by Monday afternoon, but the NWS warned that destructive conditions could be expected for eight to 10 hours prior to or after the arrival of the storm’s centre.
“The window is rapidly closing to evacuate if directed to do so by local officials, or if your home is vulnerable to high winds or flooding,” the agency said, adding that winds “will pose a deadly threat to those venturing outside”.
Guam, usually a sun-soaked tourist destination with a population of about 170,000, has opened five evacuation centres in its schools. These sites have a maximum capacity of around 1,700 and are primarily intended for vulnerable people.
The island’s civil defence office said at 13:00 local time (03:00 GMT) on Sunday that one of the evacuation sites had already reached maximum capacity and that people were being redirected to another site.
Bavi has been classified as a super typhoon by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), a part of the US Navy responsible for monitoring tropical storms in the western Pacific.
A super typhoon has winds in excess of 130 knots (150mph). JTWC predicts that Bavi will have winds of 150 knots (173mph) when it arrives over the islands, with gusts reaching as high as 180 knots (207mph).
The NWS considers super typhoons to have the equivalent destructive potential as a category four or five hurricane.
Pinky Cubacub, 55, told news agency AFP that she had been boarding up the windows of her eatery in Guam with $500 (£373) worth of plywood.
“I cannot afford to lose so many days. It hurts,” she said. “Because I just started, whatever we’re making right now is just for rent, utilities, and my people, and supplies. I don’t even pay myself yet.”
Japanese tourist Miku Sakurai, 25, told AFP that her return flight to Tokyo on Sunday had been cancelled. “We will stay in the hotel when the storm comes. I am scared,” she said.
Bavi will be the 11th category four or five tropical cyclone to hit US territory in the past decade – one more than the total recorded in the prior 57 years.
A strong El Niño event – a periodic warming of an area of surface water in the Pacific that contributes to weather patterns – is expected to push more tropical storms into these higher intensities.
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have already experienced one super typhoon this year – Sinlaku in April, which killed 17 people and caused about $1.5bn (£1.1bn) in damage.
Warmer sea surface temperatures drive more moisture into the atmosphere, supercharging storms.
[BBC]
Large-scale public commemorations for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have commenced in the capital, with authorities promoting a message of continuity for the Islamic Republic and vengeance for his killing.
Khamenei, 86, was targeted in an airstrike at the start of the war with the United States and Israel on February 28, after ruling Iran with absolute power for nearly 37 years
Red flags, commonly associated with martyrdom but also viewed as a symbol of revenge in Shia Islam, were seen throughout the Grand Mosalla commemoration site in Tehran and other mass gatherings.
“We must rise,” was the official slogan used for the ceremonies, accompanied by an image of Khamenei’s clenched fist on a red and black background.
Thousands gathered inside the huge religious complex used for the funeral from the early hours of Saturday morning to pay their respects to the assassinated supreme leader.
Khamenei’s coffin, carried to the funeral site by a lorry, was displayed at the centre of the stage and draped in flags. Positioned on an elevated platform in the central court, surrounded by glass and guarded by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel, authorities were ready to deal with crowds attempting to reach his coffin.
Visiting men and women were separated by a large barrier to observe Islamic values. Religious chanting and slogans blasted from loudspeakers around the complex.
Videos circulated by state media showed crowds chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” at a number of metro stations.
“We are all here to seek blood vengeance for our leader,” Fatemeh, a 55-year-old woman travelling in a group of women clad in black chadors, told Al Jazeera while waiting to enter through a northern gate of the complex.
“We will all listen to his son. He will guide the revolution forward,” she said, in reference to Mojtaba Khameni, who was quickly selected as supreme leader by a clerical body in March following his father’s killing.
![The commemoration has attracted thousands of people from across Tehran to mourn Khamenei [Maziar Motamedi/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/9-1783177414.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C580&quality=80)
A heavy security presence continues in the capital, with armoured vehicles, heavy machine guns and snipers visible throughout the areas surrounding the farewell ceremonies.
Men were body searched as they entered the Mosalla, while electronic devices – such as power banks, earphones and lighters – were confiscated from the mourners by security.
Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since he took office, will not attend the funeral due to security concerns.
State-affiliated newspapers and television reported that the supreme leader’s killing had rallied supporters of the Islamic Republic government, which has been in power since the 1979 revolution overthrew Iran’s last shah, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.
Authorities are expecting similar huge numbers as attended the 1989 funeral of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. At least eight mourners died in the crowds, forcing the military to evacuate his body by helicopter.
Thousands of “mokebs”, or temporary religious service stations, were set up across Tehran, blasting out Islamic Shia chants and rhythmic eulogies to Khamenei.
![Government messages and images of Khamenei were plastered across Tehran during the commemoration [Maziar Motamedi/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/3-1783178247.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C580&quality=80)
Some volunteers handed out flags, banners and images to the crowd. As temperatures rose to 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit), other mokebs were equipped with giant cooling fans and volunteers distributed free drinks to the thousands of mourners.
Emergency services were stationed across the area to assist with any health problems due to the crowds or the heat, but so far authorities have reported no security incidents or medical emergencies.
Large parts of Tehran have been cordoned off with barriers and non-official vehicles are barred from entering or exiting.
The whole of Iran has been effectively shut down until the end of Monday, in an apparent effort to encourage public participation, with 10 million Iranians expected to take part in the proceedings across the country.
Khamenei’s remains are expected to be moved through Tehran during the funeral procession on Monday. It is then expected to pass through some of Shia’s holiest sites, including Qom, Najaf and Karbala, before burial in his hometown of Mashhad in northeastern Iran on Thursday.
Some Iranians have used the public holiday to escape the crowds and the heat of Tehran for the cooler northern provinces by the Caspian Sea, as they regularly do on multi-day public events in the capital. Long lines of traffic were seen on the Tehran-Shomal Freeway leading to the provinces, with travellers stuck for hours in jams.
IRGC commander-in-chief Ahmad Vahidi, who made his first appearance since the start of the war, told state TV during an event on Friday to grieve Khamenei so that “enemies will take their wish for our surrender to the grave”.
“The enemies must know that the pure blood of our martyred imam was another turning point in the victories of dear Islam against the global infidel front,” he said.
![Red flags, associated with martyrdom in Shia Islam and carrying religious messages, were carried by mourners [Maziar Motamedi/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1-1783178093.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C580&quality=80)
IRGC aerospace chief Majid Mousavi, responsible for launching ballistic missiles and drones across the region during the war, also made a public appearance.
The central headquarters of armed forces issued a statement to warn against any military action during the ceremonies, after Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said Mojtaba Khamenet was marked for dearh.
Representatives from dozens of countries were in Tehran on Friday to pay their respects to Khamenei and speak with Iranian officials during televised state ceremonies.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, who helped mediate talks between Iran and the US, was among the most senior officials present. Other countries sent lower-level dignitaries, while European countries were reportedly not invited.
Among the most prominent attendees on Friday were members of the IRGC-backed “Axis of Resistance”, including members of Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Hezbollah delegation included members of Hassan Nasrallah’s family, the long-time head of the armed group killed by Israel in 2024, and relatives of Imad Mughniyeh, the commander killed by a car bomb in Syria in 2008.
(ALJAZEERA)
Warning: This story contains distressing details
At a port storage facility transformed into a makeshift morgue in La Guaira, the same scene repeats itself again and again.
Families – many of whom have already spent days searching hospitals, shelters and rubble – wait hours to try and confirm the deaths of their loved ones.
As the death toll of Venezuela’s twin earthquakes surpasses 2,600, officials face the challenge of not only recovering victims, but identifying them.
The scale of the disaster has overwhelmed local services, forcing institutions to improvise.
With little infrastructure left standing nine days after the tremors, bodies have been put outside or in temporary tents.
Under the blazing sun, dozens of families wait with a mixture of anguish and dread.
Rows of chairs have been placed inside and outside Los Silos, where sadness is contagious. No one speaks. Some stare blankly into space, others check their phones, reading the news or answering messages.
Just a few metres away, armed personnel from the Bolivarian Armed Forces control access to the site.
“I’m afraid of what I’m going to see in there, but it’s the only way to end this agony,” a woman says before passing through the gate. She has been searching for her nephew for nearly a week. “I’ve looked for him everywhere: in the building, in the hospitals, I’ve spoken to everyone… and no one knows anything.”
Inside, the smell of decomposition is the first thing that greets you. Some family members cover their mouths with their hands. Most wear cloth masks, which offer little relief. Within minutes, many stop reacting. They seem to grow used to it.
Nearby, hundreds of bodies lie in rows, wrapped in plastic bags and exposed to the sun. In the sweltering heat, decomposition is rapid.
The bodies are arranged according to when they were recovered.
At one end of the site, a tent offers free cremation services. At the other, forensic specialists use dental records to help identify victims whose bodies have become difficult to recognise.
Families face two options. Those who think they can identify a loved one by their clothing are taken to one area.
Most relatives, however, are directed to two television screens. There, a different ordeal begins.
More than 1,000 images of bodies flash across the screens in a sequence that feels endless. Many are swollen, have darkened skin or bear the marks of injuries, making identification difficult.
Families search for any trace that might help identify their loved ones – a tattoo, a bracelet, a piece of clothing, or an item from their home.
Sometimes there is a pause, a moment of hope. The two workers scrolling through the photos on an iPad zoom in on teeth, tattoos, or scars.
In front of one of the screens, a woman bursts into tears as she recognises her son thanks to a dusty blanket. Another woman, a stranger, embraces her.
A phone rings and breaks the silence. A young man whispers into the phone that he is trying to identify his mother. But he says the state of the bodies is making it difficult.
“This is like a horror movie,” Liliana González, a 60-year-old resident of Catia La Mar, says as she leaves. She had come to look for her aunt, but in the end identified her 37-year-old nephew by his tattoo. “He wasn’t on the list,” she says. “I had to look at the images.”
“I saw my mum when she died, but this… this isn’t the same.”
Modesta Alemán, 56, travelled from Carayaca, in western La Guaira, to look for her older sister Matilde. Her sister lived in Playa Grande – one of the hardest-hit areas.
“They told us there were no survivors,” she says. Volunteers later said they could hear voices calling from the building, “but no one could get them out”.
Modesta does not enter the makeshift morgue and waits outside while other relatives handle the identification process. Perhaps, she says, it is better this way.
The process can take hours. Once a body is identified, the arrangements to remove the remains begin. After identification, fingerprints are taken, if possible.
Then, the bodies are placed in coffins. Later, the paperwork for the death certificate begins – an essential document so funeral homes can collect the remains.
Jéssica Soto, 42, sits in a chair at the entrance to Los Silos.
For two days, she has been waiting for the remains of her 15-year-old daughter and three-year-old granddaughter, who got trapped in their apartment after the earthquakes. Their bodies were recovered on Tuesday, nearly a week later.
“They keep you waiting and waiting for the paperwork, the trucks, and who knows what else,” she tells BBC Mundo.
“They have had them there in a coffin, sitting out in the sun since yesterday. I have no choice but to wait and trust in God.”
Liliana says she panicked when she was told she would have to identify her nephew by herself. “But then, seeing me like that, two workers accompanied me to the body. They helped me find him so I wouldn’t suffer as much,” she recounts. “Thank God, because in a moment like that, it’s good to feel someone’s hand.”
Her aunt remains buried in the rubble. She fears having to return to the morgue in the coming days to repeat the process all over again.
[BBC]
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