Radio Free Asia Suspends Operations: Impact of US Funding Cuts on Independent Asian News Coverage

Oct 30, 2025 07:49 am CST

Radio Free Asia is ceasing all news production after US government funding was cut, ending nearly three decades of independent reporting on China and Asian countries without free media. With 90% of staff already laid off, the shutdown coincides with Trump's meeting with Xi Jinping and raises concerns about declining access to unfiltered news about human rights issues in regions like Xinjiang and Myanmar.