Korede Abdullah in Lagos
In a bold move to reshaping global health diplomacy, China has pledged a staggering $500 million to the World Health Organization (WHO), signaling its ambition to eclipse the United States as the leading state donor and assert greater influence on the world stage.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong told the World Health Assembly in Geneva on Thursday, criticizing what he called the rise of “unilateralism” and “power politics.”
He said his country is making the contribution to oppose “unilateralism,” a threat Beijing often ascribes to Washington as relations between the two powers deteriorate.
This move underscores Beijing’s intent to fill the leadership gap left by Washington’s retreat from international cooperation. “China strongly believes that only with solidarity and mutual assistance can we create a healthy world together,” Guozhong said.
The contribution, to be delivered over five years, highlights China’s effort to recast itself as a responsible global leader. In contrast, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO and has repeatedly dismissed international institutions, with U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. describing the WHO as “moribund” and bloated.
“The Trump administration’s attacks on and contempt for international governance have offered new opportunities for Chinese diplomacy,” said a professor at Fudan University, Zhao Minghao. (With Agency Reports)
