NGOs Face Crisis as Foreign Aid Freezes Amid US-China Tensions

Non-governmental organizations in China are struggling after a U.S. freeze on foreign aid. This move interrupts their work on human and labor rights amidst China's crackdown. Organizations, including Freedom House, face layoffs, as U.S. funding constituted the bulk of their finances.

Dozens of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in China are grappling with significant financial challenges following a freeze on foreign aid enacted by the U.S. under President Donald Trump. The suspension has led to staff layoffs and halted operations crucial for monitoring human and labor rights in China.

The affected groups, including Freedom House, have played a vital role in documenting China's crackdown on minorities, rights defenders, and lawyers under President Xi Jinping's administration. Freedom House reports that the funding cut has forced them to suspend their China Dissent Monitor project, which tracked over 7,000 protests.

The U.S. government's financial support, accounting for a substantial portion of these organizations' revenue, was crucial as other sources, like private foundations and corporate donors, shied away from politically sensitive causes. The aid freeze, part of a broader policy to curb federal spending, has left many NGOs scrambling for alternative funding as Beijing accuses the U.S. of meddling.

(With inputs from agencies.)