{
  "id": 13703060,
  "title": "US, China and Japan cut foreign aid to South-East Asia",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/us-china-and-japan-cut-foreign-aid-to-south-east-asia",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-11T11:31:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-11/china-us-japan-cut-aid-to-south-east-asia-lowy-report/107249020"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new report from the Lowy Institute reveals that foreign aid to South-East Asia has hit a decade low, with China, Japan, and the United States all cutting their development finance contributions to the region. The report, titled the South-East Asia Aid Map, indicates that official development finance to the region fell by nearly 10% to $US26 billion ($37 billion) in 2024, even before accounting for the anticipated impact of the Trump administration's upcoming aid cuts in 2025.\n\nRahul Nath, one of the Aid Map's lead authors, expressed concern over the grim picture painted by the data, stating that it was not improving. Traditionally, donors have been retreating from South-East Asia, and China has been cutting aid instead of stepping in to fill the gap. Japan also reduced its finance to the region by $US1.5 billion ($2.15 billion) in 2024, partly due to the completion of COVID-era lending projects and winding down of major infrastructure initiatives.\n\nChina's funding to the region decreased by nearly a quarter in 2024, reaching $US5.3 billion ($7.59 billion). According to Nath, China has learned from its exuberance in lending to South-East Asia a decade ago, opting for smaller, more selective projects while facing slower domestic growth and increased domestic political scrutiny of large infrastructure projects.\n\nThe US had already been decreasing its development finance to the region under the Biden administration before President Donald Trump introduced significant cuts in 2025. These cuts are expected to have a substantial effect, as projected by the OECD, which predicts a 23% decline in aid from developed countries. As bilateral donors retreat, multilateral institutions are becoming increasingly important, providing nearly half of all development finance to the region in 2024. However, Nath warns that multilateral organizations may be pushed too far by shrinking aid and intensifying geopolitical pressures, potentially leading to stretched capacities.",
  "summary": "Development finance in South-East Asia has also dropped to a 10-year low, as the region's historically significant donors retreat.",
  "key_points": [
    "Foreign aid to South-East Asia hits decade low at $US26 billion in 2024",
    "China, Japan, and US cut development finance contributions to region",
    "China reduced aid by nearly a quarter to $US5.3 billion in 2024"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}