China Still Supports WHO Even Though The United States Withdraws

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun at a press conference in Beijing, Tuesday (21/1/2025) (ANTARA/Desca Lidya Natalia)

JAKARTA - The Chinese government insists it will continue to support the World Health Organization (WHO) even though the United States under President Donald Trump's administration has withdrawn from the international institution.

"China will, as usual, support WHO in fulfilling its duties, strengthen international cooperation in public health, promote global public health governance and promote the development of the global health community for all," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference in Beijing, Tuesday, January 21.

On Monday (20/1), President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Donald Trump called WHO a fraud. "Everyone cheated on the United States and that's enough. This will not happen again," Trump said.

"As an international organization authorized and professional in global public health, WHO plays a major role in coordinating global public health governance," said Guo Jiakun.

The role of WHO, said Guo Jiakun, should be strengthened, not weakened.

In a statement, Trump said the US paid USD 500 million (approximately IDR 8.15 trillion) to the UN agency.

"It feels a bit unfair to me, even though that's not the reason, but I decided to leave... China paid 39 million US dollars (around Rp. 656 billion) and we paid 500 million US dollars, even though China is a bigger country," Trump said.

Trump also said WHO handled the COVID-19 pandemic badly so the organization needed to carry out urgent reforms.

Trump has long been criticizing WHO, especially since 2020, when Trump accused the organization of failing to contain the pandemic and threatening to stop US funding.

US withdrawal from WHO will hamper access to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from vital global health data.

For example, when China identified a new sequence of coronavirus genetics in 2020, the information was shared through WHO to other countries. Without this access, the US's ability to respond to future global health threats could be hampered.

WHO itself was founded in 1948 with the help of the US, has a mission to face the world's biggest health challenges and improve human well-being. With an annual budget of around $6.8 billion, the US contribution is a large and important component of WHO operations.