U.S. lawmakers and rights advocates say the Trump administration's drive to dismantle U.S. government-funded news outlets, including Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, is a major blow to Washington's hard-earned soft power globally at a time when Beijing is rushing to expand its sphere of influence.

Radio Free Asia among news agencies facing funding axe after years of reporting on autocratic governments in Asia.

Mr Trump's domestic critics call it a strategic blunder in US competition with China, which has poured billions of dollars into pushing Beijing's narrative around the globe.