Center for a New American Security (CNAS) says aid to developing countries will strengthen democracy, help the US fight China’s authoritarianism, and thereby ensure its own security

Scholars at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) have strongly urged the Trump administration to recommence US aid programmes to foster democracy and transparency in developing countries, counter China’s influence, and ensure the security of the US.

The CNAS is a think tank in Washington, D.C., specialising in United States national security issues, including terrorism, irregular warfare, the future of the US military, and the emergence of Asia as a global power.

In a paper published by the CNAS on 15 May, Lisa Curtis, Kareen Hart and Keerthi Martyn pointed out that the “United States’ national security and economic interests are generally better served when countries practise democratic governance, providing a better environment for peace and prosperity to flourish, while individual liberty and freedoms are protected.”

The scholars argued that the only way to stop countries from accepting non-transparent Belt and Road projects would be by helping these countries opt for transparent development projects. US aid should help them do that.

“Supporting democracy overseas has been an integral aspect of U.S. foreign policy for decades. In recent years, supporting democratic systems of governance overseas and providing foreign assistance that fosters transparent economic development have become especially important tools in the U.S. strategy to compete with growing People’s Republic of China (PRC) influence.”

“The PRC,” the scholars pointed out, “fosters authoritarianism in vulnerable countries through its Belt and Road Initiative projects that strengthen local leaders through non-transparent business deals, thereby eroding public confidence in the country’s democratic institutions.”

Aid Cut Hurts US  

The scholars said that the Trump administration’s January 2025 decision to cut nearly all US foreign assistance had removed one of the United States’ most important tools to compete effectively with the PRC.

“This is not only about great power economic or military competition but also the competing ideologies that form the foundations of systems of governance. The competition is about whether societies will be free to choose their own leaders or subject to autocratic or one-party systems that centralise power, restrict fundamental freedoms, and foster corruption.”

“In essence, support for democratic governance is motivated by both values-based foreign policy goals as well as national security objectives.”

“If vulnerable nations no longer receive U.S. assistance that helps them meet economic objectives and fosters democratic development of their societies, they will become fertile ground for opposition to U.S. values and interests, thereby threatening U.S. national security,” the scholars reasoned.

The Trump administration’s drastic cuts to US foreign assistance programmes that promote democracy, human rights, and transparent economic development will undermine US global influence and power, and provide opportunities for the PRC to bolster its sway and advance autocratic trends in vulnerable nations, they warned.

Threat to US Security

The scholars argued that this will ultimately undermine US security itself.

“China will use its development aid and loans to promote autocracy in countries where U.S. aid and presence is absent, and the United States will lose the ability to partner with nations in service of its core national security goals. If vulnerable nations no longer receive U.S. assistance that helps them meet economic objectives and fosters democratic development of their societies, they will become fertile ground for opposition to U.S. values and interests, thereby threatening U.S. national security,” they said.

Recommendations for South Asia

Turning specifically to South Asia, the scholars said that the future of democracy in South Asia impacts great power competition between the United States and China.

Half the global population that went to the polls in 2024 resides in South Asia. The leading democracy in the region, India, is a critical strategic partner of the United States and on the front lines of countering rising Chinese political, economic, and military influence.

To compete effectively with China in South Asia, the scholars recommended the following steps:

  • Establish a coordinator for countering foreign propaganda in the White House to lead interagency efforts to combat PRC propaganda. Putting a senior White House official in charge of interagency coordination of US efforts to combat propaganda would help overcome the shortcomings of the previous State Department Global Engagement Center, which was criticised by Congress for being unable to authoritatively coordinate and direct the interagency and was eliminated by the Trump administration on April 16, 2025.
  • Revive the Blue Dot Network. This was a signature initiative of the first Trump administration aimed at reducing China’s ability to offer large loans for financially unsustainable infrastructure projects. The first Trump administration launched the Blue Dot Network, with the Japanese and Australian governments, to assist countries in determining whether proposed infrastructure projects were commercially viable and sustainable.
  • Engage Asian donors to broaden assistance to democratic governance. Democratic powerhouses in the Indo-Pacific, such as Japan and South Korea, have long provided foreign assistance to countries in South Asia. However, such assistance has been largely limited to bilateral agreements through government entities and focused on economic development and infrastructure. In recent years, the National Endowment for Democracy and others have raised awareness and created momentum with Asian donors to broaden that support to democratic institutions, civil society, and pro-democracy actors, given rising threats from external illiberal influences.
  • Senior-level engagement with foreign ministries in Asia. In line with the Trump administration’s goals to burden-share and to have more Asian democracies supporting democracy in Asia, senior-level engagement with the foreign affairs ministries and their development arms in both Japan and South Korea could reap significant dividends.
  • Continue to fund and support legitimate investigative journalists and media outlets to promote press freedom. Access to legitimate, independent journalism is a core tenet of democratic governance, and access to local media sources has been directly tied to voter turnout.
  • Tackle foreign propaganda by funding media literacy courses. The United States should reinstate funding for media literacy efforts across South Asia to equip citizens with the skills needed to identify false narratives, fight cognitive or confirmation biases, and empower them to participate in the democratic process. Funding this critical skill set across South Asia, as the US Agency for International Development (USAID) previously did, helps ensure continued democratic development over the long term.
  • Expand support for election integrity in South Asia to encourage regional stability. As elections in 2024 demonstrated, particularly in countries like Bangladesh, upholding the integrity of free and fair elections is critical to preserving stability in the region. The United States should reinstate funding for programmes that enhance electoral transparency, accountability, and voter education across the region. These efforts will not only enhance democratic resilience but also contribute to long-term stability in South Asia.
  • Sustain visa restrictions on individuals and groups who undermine democracy, focusing immediately on Bangladesh ahead of upcoming elections. Continuing these restrictions demonstrates a sustained US policy approach that prioritises support for democratic processes and institutions. By extending visa restrictions on specific Bangladeshi individuals ahead of Bangladesh’s elections, set to take place later in 2025 or early 2026, Washington would send a consistent message of support for democracy in the country while maintaining a balanced stance toward all political factions.
  • Foster inclusive political participation for women, youth, and minority groups across the region. To overcome the barriers to political participation in the region that women, youth, and minority groups face, US assistance programmes that address these structural challenges must continue. Additionally, Washington should reinstate USAID programmes that focus on legislative strengthening, civic engagement, and leadership training.
  • Support Afghan women and girls and engage the Taliban politically. The scholars were perturbed that the Taliban’s severe repression of women strengthens its totalitarian grip on the entire Afghan population and feeds extremism in a country and region where dozens of international terrorist groups already operate.

“It is in the U.S. national security interest to support educational opportunities, such as online learning or scholarships to study abroad, for Afghan women and girls. Support the roadmap for engaging the Taliban and encouraging an inclusive political process from the 2023 United Nations Security Council independent assessment on Afghanistan.”

“The United Nations (UN) Security Council’s independent assessment on Afghanistan, published in late 2023, lays out a coherent roadmap for engaging the Taliban and encouraging an inclusive political process. The United States should press UN agencies to structure a process of engagement for Afghan citizens, inside and outside the country, to establish an agenda for, and participate in, a process that encourages a sustainable and representative political dispensation in the country,” the scholars said.