Members of the international NGO Mines Advisory Group (MAG) inspect unexploded ordnance in a forest in central Laos. Their work has been slowed by cuts to foreign aid under the Trump administration in July. (©Sankei by Tomo Kuwamura)
このページを 日本語 で読む
In early July, members of the British international NGO Mines Advisory Group (MAG) carried out clearance operations for unexploded ordnance from the Vietnam War in a forest near the center of Xieng Khouang Province, central Laos.
Several Laotian staff carefully combed through the dense vegetation, using detectors to locate the remnants.
"Thoroughly investigating every corner of our vast territory is a daunting task," said Long Ha, MAG's Provincial Operations Manager in Laos. "It is painstaking work, but essential for the people's safety."
Ordnance Crisis in Laos
Most unexploded ordnance in Laos is believed to have been dropped by the United States. Between 1964 and 1973, during the Vietnam War, the US dropped more than 2 million tons of bombs on the country. It was aimed at disrupting supply lines to communist forces between Laos and Vietnam.
According to CNN, this total exceeded the combined amount of bombs dropped on Germany and Japan during World War II.
Because of this historical context, Washington has long provided financial support to MAG.
However, the Trump administration, which took office in January, moved to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the country's foreign aid arm.
Funding to MAG has therefore been suspended.
Effects of USAID Closure
The Trump administration formally announced the closure of USAID on July 1. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the agency "has little to show since the end of the Cold War" and moved to terminate more than 80% of its projects worldwide.
"The suspension of aid was a major blow. Many MAG staff were forced to return home," said Syvone Onlavong, General Director of the Xiangkhouang Province Department of Foreign Affairs.
While operations resumed with alternative support, reduced personnel caused work to stall. As of July, the funding for activities beyond October was "completely blank," the general director added.
In the roughly 30 years since clearance operations began in earnest, only a small fraction of unexploded ordnance has been removed. At the current pace, complete removal would take more than a thousand years.
"The US should take responsibility for disposing of the bombs it dropped," Onlavong said, expressing his indignation.
Reverberating Repercussions
The impact has also extended to Vietnam. Since February, when the Trump administration launched a full-scale review of USAID projects, several initiatives have been halted abruptly.
Among them are decontamination efforts targeting the highly toxic dioxin in the defoliant Agent Orange, which was sprayed by the US military during the Vietnam War.
"The stagnation in aid reflects a waning American interest in addressing the legacy of war," said Quan of the Ho Chi Minh City branch of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA).
Facing local backlash, the US later pledged to resume aid, though The Washington Post reported that portions of the assistance remain suspended. "There are questions about US reliability," a Vietnamese government adviser told the paper.
According to VAVA, about 3 million Vietnamese were killed or left disabled by Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Some experts note that the health of subsequent generations — children and grandchildren — has also been affected.
"The United States must not forget the harm caused by the Agent Orange it sprayed," Quan said.
Filling the US Void
Amid the closure of USAID and Trump's tariff policies shaking international perceptions of the US, China is increasingly positioning itself as a "champion of multilateralism."
In June and July, Washington did not send government officials to the United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development, where world leaders discussed development funding strategies for developing countries.
Meanwhile, Beijing has begun playing a leading role in the UN framework "G77 Plus China," which includes more than 130 emerging nations. Unlike the US, which is distancing itself from the UN, China's influence continues to grow.
Beijing Boosts Assistance
About a week after USAID suspended its child literacy and nutrition support program in Cambodia, China announced a similar initiative.
When the US halted support for landmine clearance, China quickly pledged additional aid, signaling an effort to fill the America vacuum.
"It's just a coincidence," said Heng Ratana, Director General of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre. "The renewal of our project with China happened to coincide with the suspension of US aid."
Still, the director general welcomed the news, noting that Chinese aid is set to increase by 50% next year. "[It] will be a significant help," he said.
Shifting Tides in Southeast Asia
The Atlantic magazine declared in June that the suspension of USAID handed Beijing an opportunity to expand its soft power and that it was a strategic blunder.
Koichi Ishikawa, a special researcher at Asia University's Institute for Asian Studies, stated that while Southeast Asian nations wish to avoid excessive alignment with China, if trust in the United States wanes, "it will ultimately lead to closer ties with China."
China is steadily attempting to fill the void left by President Trump's "America First" policies. While Southeast Asian nations seek to maintain balance, they are being quietly drawn to Beijing's orbit.
RELATED:
- How Cambodia Became China's Global Scam Hub
- Global Threat of an Africa Tilt in Russia and China's Favor
Author: Tomo Kuwamura, The Sankei Shimbun
(Read this in Japanese)
このページを 日本語 で読む
