The Trump administration is preparing to channel hundreds of millions of additional dollars into programs designed to counter China's influence worldwide, according to notifications sent to Congress late last week.
The State Department notified lawmakers of plans to spend $175.8 million replacing aging undersea telecommunications cables in the Caribbean and Central America. Separately, the department is considering nearly $500 million more for China-focused initiatives across the Western Hemisphere, Africa, and Asia, while another $340 million has been earmarked for more than 50 specific projects aimed at offsetting Beijing's reach.
The funding push comes as Donald Trump is expected to meet Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this September.