On July 28th, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian presided over a regular press conference. A reporter from the New York Times asked whether China has any comments on a report released by the US State Department, which states that the US will invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Africa and Asia to 'eradicate Chinese influence'.
Lin Jian said that countries should develop normal relations and carry out normal cooperation without targeting third parties. China has always opposed the establishment of closed and exclusive circles. Cooperation between China and relevant countries and regions, especially with developing countries, is not aimed at wooing or opposing anyone. Instead, it is aimed at jointly defending world peace, promoting global development, maintaining international order, and building a community with a shared future for mankind.
In 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill allocating $325 million per year, for a total of $1.6 billion, from fiscal years 2023 to 2027, to combat what was called “Chinese malign influence.” By the end of 2024, during the Trump administration, one of the main implementing agencies of this bill, the “Global Engagement Center” under the State Department, was shut down, and related cooperation memorandums were also terminated.
