What GAO Found Since fiscal year 2020, the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have used an interagency proposal process to allocate funding for countering Chinese influence projects. An interagency working group has overseen the process and drafted annual guidance for bureaus and posts around the world to submit proposals for funding. The guidance specifies that proposals should address specific lines of effort, which include issue areas such as economic coercion and military exports. However, the proposal process does not require bureaus and posts to seek input from key stakeholders with issue area or regional expertise. Providing documented input on proposals could help the working group better assess the feasibility of proposed projects and ensure approved proposals are designed to effectively address priorities for countering Chinese influence. Examples of Fiscal Year 2024 Countering Chinese Influence Lines of Effort State and USAID reported funding an estimated 470 projects valued at about $1.2 billion from fiscal years 2020 to 2023, but working group officials do not have readily available and reliable data on the types and status of these projects. In response to GAO’s request, officials stated they had to ask the bureaus and overseas posts managing…
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Countering China: Agencies Provided Over $1 Billion but Have Not Assessed Overall Results of Projects
Source: US GAO Reports — US Government, Public Domain