China’s state-run media has applauded former U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to slash funding for Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA), two news organizations known for their reporting on authoritarian regimes.
The move has resulted in thousands of job losses, with 1,300 VOA employees placed on paid leave since Friday’s executive order. While critics view the cuts as a blow to democracy, Beijing’s Global Times celebrated the decision, calling VOA a “lie factory” and claiming it had been “discarded like a dirty rag” by its own government.
The White House defended the funding cuts, stating that U.S. taxpayers should not be footing the bill for what it described as “radical propaganda.” The cuts target the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA, RFA, and other outlets that provide independent journalism in countries with limited press freedom, including China, North Korea, and Russia.
VOA and RFA: A Legacy of Reporting in Restricted Media Environments
Despite heavy censorship in some nations, these outlets have maintained a presence. VOA, for example, is officially banned in China, but listeners still access its broadcasts through shortwave radio or VPNs. RFA has extensively covered human rights abuses, including China’s controversial detention centers in Xinjiang, where hundreds of thousands of Uyghur Muslims are allegedly held without trial. Beijing denies these claims, arguing that the facilities are for “re-education” against extremism.
RFA’s reporting has also been instrumental in exposing repression in Cambodia. Former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, widely criticized for his authoritarian rule, hailed Trump’s cuts as a “major step toward eliminating fake news.”
VOA has won numerous awards for its investigative journalism, including its coverage of North Korean defectors and the alleged underreporting of COVID-19 deaths by Chinese authorities. The network was also recognized last year for its Mandarin-language podcast detailing the rare anti-lockdown protests in China in 2022.
Global Reaction and Concerns Over Press Freedom
Chinese media figures, including former Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin, openly celebrated the cuts. “Voice of America has been paralyzed! And so has Radio Free Asia. This is great news,” Hu wrote.
However, for many journalists and press freedom advocates, the decision is alarming. VOA journalist Valdya Baraputri, who lost her job in the cuts, warned that eliminating these outlets “allows channels that are the opposite of accurate and balanced reporting to thrive.”
The National Press Club, a leading U.S. journalism organization, condemned the move, arguing it undermines America’s commitment to a free and independent press. VOA, founded during World War II to counter Nazi propaganda, currently reaches around 360 million people in nearly 50 languages, including in regions where independent journalism is scarce.
Michael Abramowitz, VOA’s director, stated that Trump’s executive order has significantly weakened the network at a time when “America’s adversaries, like Iran, China, and Russia, are investing billions into spreading false narratives to discredit the U.S.”
Fallout and Legal Challenges
The cuts have left many foreign journalists uncertain about their futures. Baraputri, an Indonesian journalist based in Washington, D.C., described feeling “betrayed” by what she once believed about press freedom in the U.S. She also expressed concerns that some of her colleagues may now be forced to return to countries where they risk persecution for their work.
Elsewhere, the Czech Republic has called on the European Union to step in and support Radio Free Europe, another affected outlet, which broadcasts in 27 languages across 23 countries.
RFA’s CEO, Bay Fang, announced plans to challenge the funding cuts, arguing that they serve as a “gift to dictators and despots, including the Chinese Communist Party.” He warned that shutting down these outlets not only silences millions who rely on their reporting but also weakens the U.S. in the global information war.
While Chinese state media has embraced the decision, it remains unclear how ordinary Chinese citizens feel about it, given strict internet censorship in the country. However, Chinese dissidents abroad have expressed disappointment and concern.
“Throughout history, countless exiles, intellectuals, and ordinary people have found hope in the darkness thanks to VOA and RFA,” wrote Du Wen, a Chinese dissident now living in Belgium. “If the free world chooses to remain silent, the dictator’s voice will be the only one left.”