Beijing pledges USD 500 million in additional funding for World Health Organization
China is set to replace the US as the largest state funder of the World Health Organization (WHO).
On Tuesday, Vice Premier Liu Guozhong pledged an "additional" USD 500 million to fund the WHO over the next five years.
ICYMI: In January, US President Trump announced the US would withdraw from the WHO, citing high fees and mishandling of the pandemic.
WHO member states voted to hike membership dues by 20% to cover the budget shortfall left by the US withdrawal.
- It's unclear whether Liu's USD 500 million pledge is additional to or inclusive of that fee increase.
- Either way, China will become the WHO's largest state funder – the Gates Foundation is set to become the largest donor overall.
Get smart: Ramping up funding to the WHO allows Beijing to polish its bona fides as a reliable partner in multilateral development efforts.
- That will play well nearly everywhere but Washington.
Get smarter: As China's influence grows, so will its ability to push its own goals at the WHO – from making drug and vaccine access more equitable, to promoting traditional Chinese medicines, to blocking Taiwan from gaining WHO observer status.