China Applauds Trump for Dismantling Voice of America

Chinese nationalists and state media celebrated after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order dismantling Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and other U.S.-funded media outlets that broadcast to authoritarian regimes, Nectar Gan reported for CNN.

VOA, founded in 1942, was a critical source of uncensored news, particularly during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. I Photo: Voice of America Flickr

The move comes as China expands its own state-controlled media worldwide, and Beijing’s Global Times wasted no time in condemning VOA as a “lie factory” with a history of anti-China reporting.

“Almost every malicious falsehood about China has VOA’s fingerprints all over it.” — Global Times Editorial

China has long criticized VOA for covering issues such as:

• Human rights abuses in Xinjiang

• South China Sea disputes

• Taiwan and Hong Kong

• The Chinese economy

Meanwhile, RFA CEO Bay Fang called Trump’s decision “a reward to dictators and despots,” saying it would allow authoritarian regimes to expand their influence unchecked.

VOA, founded in 1942, was a critical source of uncensored news, particularly during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Although its Chinese-language radio broadcasts ended in 2011, its digital platform remained active—until now.