Beijing expands reach as Voice of America exits global airwaves

China’s government is gaining more control over the international media landscape as the U.S.-funded Voice of America (VOA) and other American government broadcasters reduce their presence worldwide. The shift accelerated after the Trump administration ordered deep funding cuts to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA, Radio Free Asia and related services. By mid-March 2025, over 1,300 VOA staff members were suspended or laid off and the network largely ceased broadcasting in many regions.

With VOA’s retreat, Chinese state broadcasters such as China Global Television Network (CGTN) and China Radio International (CRI) have expanded operations in Asia and Africa. These organizations air news and feature content in languages including Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Indonesian, Thai, Tibetan and Uyghur. In Nigeria, Information Minister Mohammed Idris noted VOA’s absence left a “perceptible void … especially in terms of trusted, independent international news content.”

In China, state-owned media outlets have publicized VOA’s decline, with editorials describing VOA as a “carefully crafted propaganda machine” designed to advance Washington’s ideological interests. Meanwhile, Chinese broadcasters have added at least 80 new shortwave channels and have begun jamming some of the frequencies formerly used by the U.S.-backed services.

Since its founding in 1942, VOA has broadcast in almost 50 languages and reached audiences in more than 100 countries. Its role was especially significant in areas with tight state media controls, including China, North Korea and Iran, where VOA and its sister agencies transmitted news via shortwave radio and satellite channels.

Reports indicate that before the cutbacks, VOA and Radio Free Asia together reached as many as 92.5 million weekly listeners in East and Southeast Asia. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, 98% of surveyed Radio Free Asia listeners considered its content trustworthy.

While a federal judge in the U.S. has restored some VOA services, including Persian-language broadcasts, the network continues to operate at minimal capacity. The White House’s proposed 2026 budget calls for the permanent defunding of the agency. Congressional leaders remain divided on whether to eliminate or restructure U.S. international broadcasting, which some consider a critical tool for U.S. foreign policy. The outcome will determine whether the current gap in global media influence remains or shifts further toward state-backed outlets from China.