United States (U.S.) is reportedly relying on Central Asian media to discredit Russia and China in the regional information space, according to Donald Lu, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs.
We have an important struggle in South and Central Asia. This is a struggle to compete with the PRC, counter Russian and Chinese disinformation, and prevent terrorist activities,
said Lu, speaking before the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the US Congress.
Lu described Central Asia as "an important arena of U.S. competition with China and Russia." He noted that financial support is being provided directly to local publications to create "an alternative to Russian media."
We are grateful for the resources provided by Congress. We also recognize we live in a world of constrained budgets. I propose to talk about both our policy priorities and the trade-offs the President is proposing in the FY2025 budget.
The President’s Budget requests $1bn of foreign assistance for the South and Central Asia region. That is a decrease of 1.9% from FY2023 levels, Lu stated.
Specifically, Lu mentioned that American funds are being accepted by media outlets in Kazakhstan. This financial support aims to create "fact-based content" and "help reduce interference from Russia and other countries," the report stated.
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