China steps up aid to Africa but huge funding gap left by Trump’s cuts remains

Beijing’s efforts in food and medical relief, a sector traditionally dominated by US programmes, could partly fill the void, observers said

Beijing has also stepped up its health diplomacy across the continent, recently giving South Africa a US$3.49 million grant, facilitated by UNAids, to fund HIV prevention for 54,000 students and drug users.

The grant to South Africa, home to an estimated 8 million people living with HIV, marked China’s first major entry into a sector that had long been dominated by the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) initiative.

Before Washington sharply cut foreign help in early 2025, South Africa relied on the US for nearly 17 per cent of its HIV budget, or more than US$400 million annually, according to the South African National Aids Council.

Source: News - South China Morning Post