China warns against ‘confrontation and division’ as US regains Unesco seat

China votes no as US proposal to rejoin 193-nation UN agency is passed by 132 member states

The US should promote unity and cooperation, rather than resist ‘influence of a specific country’, China’s permanent representative to Unesco says

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The passing of the motion will see the US make a full return to Unesco this month. Photo: AP

Published: 5:42pm, 1 Jul 2023Updated: 10:14pm, 1 Jul 2023

China has warned the United States against creating “confrontation and division” at Unesco as it resumes full membership this month, state media reports said.

This came as a US proposal to rejoin the 193-nation United Nations heritage, education and science agency was passed by a huge majority on Friday.

China was one of 10 members that voted against the motion, while a “very large majority” of 132 were in favour, according to a Unesco press release.

The passing of the motion will see the US make a full return to Unesco this month, some five years after it exited under then president Donald Trump.

China’s permanent representative to Unesco, Yang Jin, raised concerns about the return, saying the US had skipped the membership fee for years due to “controllable factors” like its own legislation.

“The aim for member states to join the Unesco is to strengthen cooperation and contribute to peace, but neither for confronting nor resisting the influence of a specific country,” Yang was quoted as saying by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.