Zambia faces a high-stakes clash of diplomacy and public health after the United States tied continued HIV funding to a contested minerals deal, an ultimatum that has raised fears of reversing hard-won progress.
For nearly two decades, US-funded HIV programs under the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) have supported millions of Zambians. But with that agreement expiring, the United States tabled a new deal in November 2025, that includes preferential access to Zambia's critical minerals and health data.
The deal has stalled, with Zambia insisting it seeks agreement but not at any price. The impasse has fueled fears that critical gains could slip away.
"The greatest fear is that we do not want to see ourselves getting back to where we started from. For me my fear is will I be able to continue with my treatment?" said Patricia, a person living with HIV.
Funding cuts are already reshaping frontline programs. In Northern Province, community-led monitoring was forced to halt when stipends for volunteers dried up.
"We were conducting some community led monitoring program in Northern Province. When that donor-cut came, we had to lose these CBVs (community-based volunteers) who were collecting this data because they were on stipends," said Fred Chungu, executive director of the Network of Zambian People Living with HIV and AIDS.
As part of the proposed deal, the United States is seeking preferential access to Zambia's copper, lithium and cobalt, along with the country's health data. Advocacy groups have raised alarm over the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
"Many people are asking what does this America-first approach mean for other countries? Is there room for a middle ground? Because if it's America first, then there's limited room for Zambia first. There were concerns that without the transparency this agreement could be bulldozed and result in an agreement detrimental to the Zambian people," said Josiah Kalala, executive director of Chapter One Foundation, an NGO focusing on promoting and protecting human rights, constitutionalism, social justice, and the rule of law.
The Zambian government has acknowledged the importance of continued health funding but says the proposed conditions are imbalanced and potentially unsustainable. Stakeholders say the crisis should serve as a turning point.
"With the cutting of this donor aid, it's a lesson learnt. Something that is like a wake-up call, so never to depend so much on donors. We have to start local resource mobilization," said Chungu.
Even though the April 30 deadline has passed, the Zambian government said it would continue dialogue, as millions wait anxiously to see whether life-saving treatment will remain within reach.
Zambia faces HIV funding crisis as US links aid to minerals deal
A dedicated judge spent more than a decade bringing the courtroom to farm fields and village homes in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, turning legal proceedings into face-to-face dialogue for residents in remote ethnic minority communities.
Deng Xing, a Party member and now director of the Enforcement Division at the Nujiang Intermediate People's Court, pioneered circuit trials and grassroots mediation, helping extend judicial services to villages once isolated by steep mountains and deep gorges.
As a grassroots judge, Deng became widely known through photos showing him carrying the national emblem across suspension bridges over the roaring Nujiang River in the prefecture.
With transportation long constrained by the region's rugged terrain, reaching local residents often meant traveling on foot for hours to hear cases and provide legal services.
"Walking mountain trails, crossing zip-lines and climbing steep slopes were fairly normal things for us. About 70 percent or more of our cases were handled through circuit trials," Deng said.
Looking back, Deng believes taking the courtroom directly to local communities helped judges earn trust and resolve disputes more effectively.
"All people want is for the judge to find the true facts of the case and handle it fairly under the law," he said.
A member of the Lisu ethnic group and fluent in local dialects, Deng was able to communicate with many elderly residents who spoke little or no Mandarin. As he rose from a grassroots judge to head of a county-level court, he encouraged younger colleagues to move beyond paperwork and address disputes at doorsteps, ensuring that judicial services reached the communities where they are needed most.
"I am very happy with how it was sorted out, and so is the defendant," said Zhao Zhigang, a plaintiff in one of the cases.
His dedication also left a lasting impression on younger judges.
"He once taught us that when a problem cannot be resolved, we should proactively report it to the Party committee and the government to help the people solve their practical issues, rather than simply leaving them an unenforceable or blank judgment. In this process, I've also done my utmost," said Wang Wusheng, chief judge of the Yingpan Tribunal under the People's Court of Lanping County.
As rural revitalization has transformed the region, newly built roads and bridges have made courthouses more accessible. Yet circuit trials continue to play an important role in serving residents in remote communities.
"When I introduced the bonfire court, we should create a warm and amicable atmosphere. Especially in cold winter, if people can sit by a fire and talk things through, many disputes are already resolved halfway. If I filed a lawsuit, how would I hope the judge and the court would treat me? I think that's fundamental," Deng said.
Local officials also said the value of circuit courts extends far beyond individual cases.
"While maintaining harmony and stability, they have made efforts in courts to provide a solid legal foundation for the township's economic and social development," said Wu Tianling, Party secretary of Yingpan Township.
Though Deng is no longer the young judge crossing rivers and mountains to hear cases, a new generation of judicial workers is carrying forward that tradition.
"[He often tells us that] a Communist Party member must take the lead. Although I am not a Party member, the strong sense of responsibility and commitment characteristic of Party members has always inspired us. It makes us want to learn from them and become someone like them," said He Xiaofang, vice president of the People's Court of Lanping County.
Today, Deng serves in a new role at the prefecture-level intermediate court, but his mission remains unchanged.
"Whatever position I take, my duty to serve the people has never changed. Through our judicial work and exercise of authority, we strive to ensure people of all ethnic groups to feel fairness and justice are at their side," Deng said.
His journey continues in a different post, while a new generation of judges follows the path he helped forge, bringing justice closer to China's remote ethnic minority communities.
Deng's story is part of a special series produced and aired by China Global Television Network (CGTN) to mark the 105th anniversary of the Communist Party of China on July 1.
Judge brings justice to remote ethnic minority communities in southwest China
