After the new US President announced withdrawal from the World Health Organisation, China on Tuesday expressed its firm support for the UN health body. Reacting to Trump’s move, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Tuesday that China will continue to support the UN health body in fulfilling its duties.
China will, as always, support WHO in fulfilling its duties, deepen international public health cooperation, strengthen global health governance, and promote the building of a global community of health for all, Guo said. Guo further added that as an authoritative international organisation in the global public health field, WHO has played a key coordinating role in global health governance. He said that its role should be strengthened, not weakened.
WHO DG Tedros calls for reconsideration
Meanwhile WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has expressed regret over Trump’s announcement and hoped for reconsideration. In a post on X, he said, “The World Health Organization regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the Organization…We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe.”
Trump’s issues executive order on withdrawal from WHO
Soon after his swearing-in on Monday, Trump signed an executive order beginning the process of withdrawing America from the WHO, the second time in less than five years that the US has ordered to withdraw from the world body.
The executive order signed by Trump stated that a presidential letter was being sent to the Tedros to formally notify him of the US plan to withdraw. “The US noticed its withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2020 due to the organisation’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,” said the executive order.
(With inputs from agencies)
