This week, hundreds of USAID employees were blocked from entering headquarters and locked out of their work accounts after Department of Government Efficiency chief Elon Musk announced that he and President Trump had agreed to shut down the agency. The consequences of this decision will stretch far beyond budget sheets and bureaucratic reorganization — it marks a massive strategic victory for China.

Since its establishment in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, USAID has been one of America’s most powerful tools for global influence, providing billions of dollars in development assistance to countries in need while promoting governance, transparency and economic independence. But beyond foreign aid, it has served as a counterbalance to China’s global ambitions, particularly through its Belt and Road Initiative. By shuttering USAID, the U.S. is handing Beijing the opportunity to expand its economic and political dominance unchecked.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative, launched in 2013, has been marketed as an infrastructure project, but in reality is a powerful geopolitical strategy. Through........

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