White House asks agencies to detail funding related to China

The White House has asked US government agencies for extensive details of any funding that seeks to counter China's global influence and business practices, or supports Beijing, amid growing tensions between Washington and Beijing.

According to an Aug. 27 White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) document seen by Reuters, the OMB directed US agencies to submit "cross-cutting data on federal funding that aids or supports China, or that directly or indirectly counters China's unfair competition and malign activities and influence globally."

China denies it engages in unfair competitive practices.

The document, titled Strategic Competition with China Crosscut, does not say how the information will be used other than that it will "inform policymakers" of the myriad ways US government spending involves China.