WorldPosted at: Sep 27 2026 7:47PM


US seeks shift from aid to investment, Christopher Landau says economic deals should drive diplomacy

New York, Sep 25 (UNI) US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has called for a major shift in American economic diplomacy from traditional aid programmes towards investment-driven partnerships, saying long-term commercial deals can create jobs, infrastructure and lasting economic ties between countries.
Speaking at a “Trade Over Aid Deals Showcase” here, Landau said economic and commercial relations had for decades taken a back seat in diplomacy, even though creating prosperity and economic opportunities for people should be at the “core of diplomacy”.
“Ultimately, those of us who are working for governments that are democratically elected have to show our people that their confidence in us was well placed by making their lives better,” he said, adding that prosperity, jobs and economic opportunities were as important as security. Landau said his objective as Deputy Secretary of State was to strengthen the role of economic diplomacy and help create projects that could outlast individual governments.
“These kind of economic projects...create a lasting foundation that outlasts any government and that really provides real value for people,” he said. Contrasting investment with traditional aid, Landau said aid programmes could “keep things afloat” but often came with conditions that recipients might find difficult to accept. He argued that foreign investment should not be viewed as a loss of sovereignty, saying governments could establish clear terms for investments while benefiting from the inflow of capital. “I think it’s important for all of us in this room to be affirmative apostles of the message that no, investment is an engine of growth; you’re bringing money into the country,” Landau said. He said businesses primarily sought certainty and predictable rules when deciding where to invest, adding that clear investment frameworks could generate benefits for both the host and investing countries.
According to Landau, investment could bring capital, infrastructure, jobs and economic growth to recipient countries while creating stronger and more durable political ties between governments. “These are win-win opportunities,” he said, stressing that commercial relationships could create economic stakes in maintaining stable ties between countries. Landau said the US Government's role was to act as an intermediary between American businesses and investment opportunities abroad rather than directly deploying capital.
He said the United States had a “dynamic private sector” but acknowledged that American companies were sometimes absent from major overseas investment opportunities. “Where are the Americans, and how come we get five bids from another country halfway around the world and zero from American companies? That’s a big problem,” he said.
Landau said he had previously focused mainly on American operating companies involved in construction, infrastructure, energy and mining, but had recently recognised the importance of engaging the investors and institutions that control capital. “The United States and particularly New York City...you all, ladies and gentlemen, are sitting in the world’s financial capital. There are trillions of dollars here that can be deployed around the world,” he said. He said attracting capital providers could help bring US operating companies into projects in overseas markets.
Landau also pointed to fragmentation within the US Government as one of the challenges facing companies seeking support for overseas investments. He said investors often wanted the US Government to have “skin in the game” through co-investment or other forms of involvement, particularly for projects with long-term horizons and political risks.
Landau, who also chairs the boards of the US Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), said the United States also had the Export-Import Bank and other agencies involved in supporting international investment. “It can be a little bit confusing with the State Department, the Commerce Department, the EXIM, the DFC. I think we need to become more of a one-stop shop, and I’m going to work on that,” he said. He cited the Pacific Islands as one region where he believed there had been underinvestment and referred to an investment roundtable held in Honolulu in February with Pacific Island leaders and US business representatives.
Landau said the US Government should help connect private investors with countries seeking capital and identify sectors where investment could deliver mutual benefits. “My job, our job collectively from the US Government side, is to enhance that communication,” he said. Concluding his remarks, Landau said the administration was committed to expanding opportunities for American businesses overseas. “I just want to underscore my personal commitment, as well as our administration’s commitment, to make this an unprecedented golden era for the American private sector around the world,” he said. UNI AAB
Tags: #US seeks shift from aid to investment# Christopher Landau says economic deals should drive diplomacy
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