"We live in a dangerous world, the world isn't standing still," he told a House of Representatives Appropriations subcommittee where he sought backing for a $1.24 billion budget increase to $3.36 billion for international programs that Treasury oversees.

"Other countries like China are ready to fill any vacuum left by a receding America and we have to take a very careful look when we're going to cut back things like this to make sure we're not undermining our core interests," Geithner said.