China backs WHO after US withdrawal move

China has reaffirmed its support for the World Health Organization (WHO) following the decision by President Donald Trump to begin the process of withdrawing the United States from the global health body.

Shortly after his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump signed an executive order kick-starting the process of pulling the country out of the WHO.

The order said the US was withdrawing “due to the organization’s mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states”.

The executive order also said WHO required “unfairly onerous payments” from the US that are disproportionate to the sums provided “by other larger countries such as China”.

In response, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, said WHO’s role in global public health should be strengthened, not weakened.

“As the authoritative and professional international organization in global public health, WHO plays a central role in coordinating global public health governance,” he said.

“China will, as always, support WHO in fulfilling its duty, deepen international cooperation in public health, advance global public health governance, and promote the building of a global community of health for all.”

Meanwhile, the WHO has implored the US to reconsider its withdrawal from the global health body.