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Beijing’s foreign ministry said the donation “reflects the support and trust of the Chinese government and people for the WHO”. Photo: AP

Coronavirus: China donates another US$30 million to WHO after US funding halt

  • It’s the second contribution from Beijing during the pandemic and ‘reflects support and trust’ for the World Health Organisation
  • The agency has been criticised for its response to the outbreak in China, which the US – its top donor – is investigating
China has donated another US$30 million to the WHO after US President Donald Trump announced his intention to suspend funding to the global health body, accusing it of siding with Beijing on the coronavirus outbreak.

It is the second time China – where the first cases of the virus were reported late last year – has provided additional funding to the World Health Organisation during the pandemic, after it announced a US$20 million donation in early March.

Beijing has pledged to step up support for the Geneva-based organisation after repeated criticism of its response to the crisis, including from Trump, who claims the WHO mismanaged and covered up the spread of the virus and was too trusting of Beijing.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang announced the latest donation on Thursday, saying the combined US$50 million would “support the global fight against Covid-19 and strengthen developing countries’ health systems”.

Geng added that China’s contribution to the UN agency “reflects the support and trust of the Chinese government and people for the WHO”.

Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying reinforced the message on Twitter, saying the funding would be used to help developing countries.

“At this crucial moment, supporting WHO is supporting multilateralism and global solidarity,” she said in the tweet.

The coronavirus has rapidly spread around the globe, killing more than 180,000 people and infecting over 2.6 million worldwide.

Last Tuesday, Trump said the United States would withhold funding to the agency, saying the WHO took China’s claims about the coronavirus “at face value” and had failed to share information about the pandemic as it spread. China responded by calling on the US to fulfil its responsibilities and not to undermine international cooperation.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called on the US to reconsider its decision. Photo: Reuters

The US is the WHO’s largest single donor – it gave the organisation more than US$400 million, or 15 per cent of its budget, in 2019. China donated about US$86 million in the same year, a 52 per cent increase from 2014.

Trump said a decision on resuming funding would be made after a government investigation into the WHO’s response to the coronavirus outbreak in China, which he said would take 60 to 90 days.

Even if a review calls for the WHO to receive funding, Trump may legally be able to redirect the money to other foreign organisations.

WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus – accused of being one of China’s “proxies” by Trump adviser Peter Navarro – called on the US to reconsider its decision to freeze funding.

Tedros has repeatedly praised China’s efforts in containing the pandemic despite Beijing’s suppression of whistle-blowers and information at the start of the outbreak.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also sought to defend the WHO during a phone call with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian on Wednesday. Wang said the agency was playing a key role in coordinating global efforts to combat the virus and providing essential support to African countries.

“We should encourage instead of condemn the WHO. We should support, instead of undermining it,” Wang said, according to state news agency Xinhua.

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