If the U.S. government reduces or even shuts down Voice of America (VOA), China’s authoritarian regime will be the biggest winner. This is not merely a budgetary issue; it is a major decision that concerns global press freedom and the fundamental values of American democracy.
As someone who grew up in China under the Communist Party’s propaganda and later became an advocate for human rights and labor rights in New York, I understand how Chinese people cherish VOA. In a country where news is entirely controlled by the government, VOA is not just a media outlet – it is the frontline in the fight against authoritarianism and a beacon of American democratic values.
I first heard Voice of America in 1981, when I was nine years old. China had just emerged from the Cultural Revolution, and the government was putting former leaders on trial. I vividly remember my older brother, and my uncles, and neighbors, secretly huddled together to listen to VOA shortwave radio broadcasts, eager to obtain more accurate information about turmoil happening in their own country.
Later, I came to understand that VOA was considered an “enemy station” by the Chinese government, and listening to its programs could even lead to imprisonment.
As a child growing up in China, my education was saturated with political slogans and propaganda. By the age of four, the first phrase I learned was “Long live Chairman Mao.” In kindergarten, we were taught to criticize Confucianism, oppose the bourgeoisie, and recite Maoist ideology as preparation to become “successors of communism,” despite not knowing exactly what any of this meant.
Then, VOA changed everything.
In 1986, a student movement erupted in China. The government described it as “instigated by liberal intellectuals,” but VOA reported that it was the students demanding democracy, freedom, and equality. Although I did not fully understand these concepts, it was at that moment I began to question the government’s narrative.
In 1989, the Chinese government called in the army to suppress the student protests. The Communist Party’s media called it “quelling a riot,” but VOA’s reporting revealed a completely different reality. In my quest for the truth, VOA became one of my most trusted sources, helping me understand the real meaning of freedom, democracy, and human rights.
In the 1990s, China launched large-scale state-owned enterprise reforms, leading to mass layoffs. Tens of millions of workers lost their jobs, including my family and friends. In 1997, I began to help workers defend their legal rights, provide legal consultations, and fight for social justice.
During this period, VOA was not just my source of news – it became the only platform for me to voice concerns to the outside world. I participated in VOA’s political programs via collect calls, expressing my views. My colleagues also provided VOA journalists with investigative leads, to ensure that the international community were informed of the struggles of Chinese workers. VOA reporters relayed this information to human rights organizations, labor groups, and foreign journalists in China, increasing international pressure and leading to some improvements in labor conditions.
Despite not receiving a formal university education in China, if someone asks me where I gained my most valuable knowledge, my answer is: Voice of America.
In 2000, I came to the United States and I founded China Labor Watch, dedicating myself to promoting labor rights and corporate supply chain transparency in China. Over the past two decades, VOA has remained my most reliable source of accurate and credible news. Despite China’s strict censorship, VOA’s reporting still reaches millions in China via VPNs, social media, and shortwave broadcasts.
In 2000, I testified before Congress. I argued against granting China Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status, because I deeply understood the true nature of the Chinese government – an authoritarian regime that systematically suppresses democracy and human rights.
As China rose to become the world’s second largest economy, many hailed it as a globalization success story. But I saw a system built on the exploitation of workers and the erosion of social freedoms. A nation that pursues economic development at the cost of its citizens’ basic rights does not contribute to global stability –it poses a threat to world peace.
Many Chinese scholars, technology experts, and top professionals choose to move to the United States because they believe in the values VOA promotes. This is America’s long-term investment in values. The true strength of the United States lies not in its military or economic prowess, but in its fundamental distinction from authoritarian regimes – it represents freedom, democracy, and universal rights.
VOA operates on an annual budget of just $260 million, yet it serves as a critical pillar of America’s global information strategy. This is not merely an expenditure; it is a commitment to democracy.
If VOA is weakened or shut down, authoritarian regimes will only tighten their grip on information, further suppressing the truth. To authoritarian governments, truth itself is a threat. And Voice of America is one of America’s strongest tools in the global battle for information dominance.
If the U.S. government truly wants to maintain its competitive edge against China, it cannot rely solely on tariffs or economic policies – it must defend its values.
