China chides US over plan to rejoin Unesco 6 years after quitting under Trump

Name: China opens ‘relic hospital’ in Chongqing to better preserve World Heritage Dazu Rock Carvings
Uploaded: 2023-06-13T13:10:52.000Z
Duration: 1 min 27 s
Description: China opens ‘relic hospital’ in Chongqing to better preserve World Heritage Dazu Rock Carvings

The Biden administration has offered to pay off more than US$600 million in contributions it owes to the agency

Beijing says membership is a serious commitment and ‘not like going to a park’

Reading Time:2 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

99+

The US would rejoin the UN body next month and has agreed to pay its outstanding contributions. Photo: AFP

Liu Zhen

Published: 9:10pm, 13 Jun 2023

The United States should not use international organisations as geopolitical playgrounds, Beijing said on Tuesday as it chided Washington over its plans to rejoin the United Nations’ top heritage body.

Unesco director general Audrey Azoulay confirmed on Monday that the US would rejoin the UN body next month and honour the more than US$600 million in financial contributions it owed.

US officials had previously said that the decision to leave Unesco six years ago left a gap for China to expand its influence.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the US should be responsible and use its membership to support multilateralism and promote international cooperation.

“The membership of international organisations is a serious matter … it is not like going to a park, where you can enter at ease and leave as you please,” Wang said.

“International organisations must not be used as arenas for geopolitical competition, and the public interests of the international community must not be used as an excuse [for the US] to promote its own interests as the global leader.”

01:27

China opens ‘relic hospital’ in Chongqing to better preserve World Heritage Dazu Rock Carvings