Why It Matters

China is expanding its global diplomatic footprint at a pace that outstrips U.S. capacity, according to a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report. As of July, China operates 298 overseas diplomatic posts, compared with 279 maintained by the United States. The Trump administration has already signaled its approach, ordering a review of all international organizations and reportedly planning to shut down almost a dozen consulates while reducing its global workforce.

The Big Picture

China allocated approximately $8.37 billion to diplomacy in 2024, a 65 percent increase from 2014. Chinese citizens working in the UN system grew 86.3 percent over the same decade. Yet its influence at the UN often yields mixed results, according to the Lowy Institute, and the United States and numerous European countries still collectively maintain outsized influence there, the institute found.

The report says that China aims to safeguard a broadly defined conception of its national security; blunt U.S. power by promoting multipolarity; reform international institutions in its favor; and foster economic growth and technological development. At the Chinese Communist Party's (CPC) 20th National Congress in 2022, Xi Jinping articulated the goal of building China into a country that leads the world in composite national strength and international influence by the middle of this century.

The Trump administration has made competing with China a key objective of some U.S. foreign assistance programs. The Countering PRC Influence Fund received at least $400 million in fiscal year 2026 funding. Lawmakers have introduced multiple bills, including the DISRUPT Act, which would require a whole-of-government strategy to disrupt cooperation between China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran; as well as the Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia's Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence (MEGOBARI) Act, designed to discourage Chinese activity in the nation of Georgia.

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