The report comes about six months after Trump returned to the White House and began taking drastic measures that his administration says will improve government efficiency and protect U.S. interests, triggering condemnation from Democrats that the moves could amount to ceding global influence to China.

The minority members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee say the White House is undercutting American soft power and letting China fill the void.

China will seize influence on the global stage as a result of the Trump administration’s major cuts to international spending, according to a report published Monday by the Democratic staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

China's exports regained some momentum in June while imports rebounded, as exporters rushed out shipments to capitalise on a fragile tariff truce between Beijing and Washington ahead of a looming August deadline.