China Donates $30 Million to WHO

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] While the United States is criticizing the World Health Organization (WHO) for its response to COVID-19, China has donated 30 million dollars to the WHO.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 24th, spokesperson Geng Shuang announced the day before that China decided to donate 30 million dollars to the WHO to support the development of public health systems in developing countries and to combat COVID-19.

Spokesperson Geng stated, "The WHO, led by Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has fulfilled its duties with an objective and fair attitude and played an important role in the responses of various countries to COVID-19 and in promoting international cooperation," expressing support for the WHO's COVID-19 response.

This is the second time China has donated money to the WHO since the outbreak of COVID-19. In March, China donated 20 million dollars to the WHO for COVID-19 response efforts.

This additional donation by China to the WHO comes amid the United States' declaration to halt funding, criticizing the WHO's COVID-19 response as biased towards China.

According to the WHO budget data for 2018?2019, the United States contributed 893 million dollars to the WHO, the largest amount among member countries. However, President Donald Trump recently ordered a suspension of funding to the WHO, blaming its flawed response for the global spread of COVID-19. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also pointed to China and the WHO in a media interview, stating, "It is now clear that the Chinese Communist Party and the WHO did not disclose information in a timely manner," and added, "The result is that we now have a pandemic."

China's additional donation to the WHO is interpreted as reflecting the Chinese government's support and trust in the WHO. On the 18th, Wang Yi, China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister, conveyed a message of support for the WHO to Director-General Ghebreyesus, who has been in conflict with the United States over responsibility for the spread of COVID-19, during a phone call. China conveyed the message that it supports the WHO.

Commissioner Wang said, "The Chinese government firmly supports the WHO. Attacks and slanders against the WHO are unfounded," and added, "China wants to expand support for the WHO through various channels. Supporting the WHO at this critical time when the world is fighting COVID-19 is supporting pluralism."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.