Radio Free Asia Resumes Broadcasts to China

U.S. government-funded outlet restarts operations after Trump administration cuts forced it to cease last year.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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Radio Free Asia has resumed broadcasting to audiences in China, including in Mandarin, Tibetan, and Uyghur languages, after the Trump administration's cuts last year largely forced the U.S.-funded outlet to cease operations. RFA's president and CEO said the ability to restart the broadcasts was due to private contracting with transmission services, though rebuilding the network will require consistent congressional funding.

Why it matters

Radio Free Asia has long been a critical source of independent reporting on China and other authoritarian countries, shining a light on human rights abuses and the plight of oppressed minorities. The Trump administration's efforts to dismantle U.S. government-funded media outlets like RFA were seen as ceding ground to China's growing global influence.

The details

Last year, Kari Lake, a former news anchor appointed by President Donald Trump as acting CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), terminated RFA's grants, alleging waste of taxpayer money and anti-Trump bias. This led to mass layoffs at the outlet. However, a bipartisan spending bill signed into law earlier this month included $653 million in funding for USAGM, which oversees RFA, Voice of America, and other government-funded outlets.

  • In 2025, the Trump administration cuts largely forced RFA to cease operations.
  • On February 18, 2026, RFA announced it had resumed broadcasts to China.

The players

Radio Free Asia

A U.S. government-funded media outlet that provides independent reporting on China and other authoritarian countries, including on human rights abuses and the plight of oppressed minorities.

Kari Lake

A former news anchor appointed by President Donald Trump as acting CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), who terminated RFA's grants in 2025.

Bay Fang

The president and CEO of Radio Free Asia.

Liu Pengyu

A spokesperson for China's embassy in Washington, who accused RFA of having an anti-China bias.

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What they’re saying

“We are proud to have resumed broadcasting to audiences in China in Mandarin, Tibetan, and Uyghur, providing some of the world's only independent reporting on these regions in the local languages.”

— Bay Fang, President and CEO, Radio Free Asia (LinkedIn)

“Radio Free Asia has long spread falsehoods and smeared China, and they have a poor record when it comes to reporting on China-related issues. We hope more media outlets in the U.S. can make objective and fair-minded reports on China and China-U.S. relations.”

— Liu Pengyu, Spokesperson, Chinese embassy in Washington (NBC News)

What’s next

RFA spokesperson Rohit Mahajan said the outlet's Mandarin audio content is currently only available online, with the aim to resume regular broadcasts over airwaves soon. Its Tibetan, Uyghur, Korean and Burmese radio programming is already airing over short- and medium-wave frequencies.

The takeaway

The resumption of RFA's broadcasts to China is a significant development, as the outlet has long been a crucial source of independent reporting on human rights abuses and the plight of oppressed minorities in the country. Its ability to restart operations, despite the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle it, underscores the importance of maintaining a diversity of media voices, especially in the face of growing authoritarianism and censorship.