Chinese to pump $500 million to WHO in 5 years!
Geneva, May 20 (EFE).-
The Chinese government announced on Tuesday an additional contribution of $500 million for the next five years to the World Health Organization (WHO), affected by a serious financial crisis after the United States – so far its main contributor – decided to exit the agency.
The decision was announced at the WHO annual assembly in Geneva by Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guizhong, who stressed that with this contribution China wants to ensure the agency could function independently, professionally and governed by scientific principles.
During 2024-2025, the United States’ contribution exceeded $700 million, more than 10 percent of the overall budget of WHO, while that of China was around $200 million, according to figures from the organization.
“The world is now facing the impacts of unilateralism and power politics bringing major challenges to global health security… Multilateralism is a sure pass to addressing difficulties,” Liu said in his address.
In this regard, Liu praised WHO’s the adoption of an agreement for the preparation against future pandemics, and defended the actions taken by his country to fight against Covid-19, whose first cases were detected in China at the end of 2019.
Despite the withdrawal of the US from the WHO, American Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed the assembly in a video in which he accused the global health agency of giving in to the interests of China.
“Not only has the WHO capitulated to political pressure from China, it’s also failed to maintain an organization characterized by transparency and fair governance by and for its Member States,” Kennedy said. EFE
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