Cuts in American aid are crippling groups promoting rights in China
Some aid money has been very well spent

China Labour Watch (clw), an ngo based in New York City, has investigated labour abuses in Chinese supply chains for 20 years. It is small, with a staff of seven and a budget of $800,000 a year. Now it is on the verge of collapse. Some 90% of its funds come from the American government. Since Donald Trump ordered a freeze on foreign aid in January, clw has had to halt most of its work. Li Qiang, its founder, says staff will have to be laid off. It is all “very painful”, he says, and “completely unexpected”.
Explore more
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Shutdown”

From the February 8th 2025 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the edition
China’s propagandists preach defiance in the trade war with America
The public seems on board, for now

Chinese officials are encouraging office workers not to work so hard
More free time means more consumption, they hope

China hawks are losing influence in Trumpworld, despite the trade war
“Restrainers” are taking over from “primacists”
Why are Chinese soldiers fighting in Ukraine?
They have been showing up on both sides of the battlefield throughout the war
China’s shoemakers seem more sanguine than its politicians
A trade war will cause a lot of damage, but many have weathered storms before
To secure exports to Europe, China reconfigures its rail links
A new line will bypass its best friend, Russia