Well, howdy there, Internet people, it's Bell again. So today, we're going to talk about Trump

surrendering soft power to China. Analysts have repeatedly warned that as Trump's administration

continues to wind down U.S. aid operations and disrupt American projection of soft power.

Nations adversarial to the U.S. would fill the void. They would step in to strategically

important areas and establish relationships with the governments there as the U.S. cedes its

global dominance. Unsurprisingly, the experts in the field were

correct, and those who didn't even understand what USA does were incorrect. China is already pulling

their soft power vehicles into the United States' surrendered parking spots.

The Pacific is one of the most aid-dependent regions in the world,

and is critical to Trump's rhetoric when it comes to countering China in the current near-peer contest.

When discussing the funding freeze, Terence Wood from the Australian National University Development Policy

Center, noted, quote, the U.S. is the Pacific's largest aid donor, and what is happening there

is completely unprecedented.

He went on to say, quote, there's also a cruel irony that Elon Musk is the world's wealthiest man,

and right now he seems to be calling the shots with decisions that are literally going to be

life or death for the world's poorest people. The Cook Islands, which are strategically important to the U.S., are already

seeing training events shut down because of the funding freeze. China will happily fill the void.

Cambodia just announced that China is supplying millions in a grant for landmine clearance. While China's soft power

initiatives through aid and grants don't yet rival American spending, they're already

spending billions per year. It's worth remembering that China is new to this type of endeavor

in the global game. Many places China would like to

exert influence on were already receiving aid from the U.S. So China didn't have an opening to pursue

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