China pours $30 million to WHO after US freezes funds
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| WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. |
According to Channel News Asia, “China has decided to donate another US$30 million in cash to the WHO, in addition to the previous donation of US$20 million, to support the global fight against Covid-19 and strengthen developing countries’ health systems,” foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing.
He added that China’s contribution to the UN agency “reflects the support and trust of the Chinese government and people for the WHO”.
Straitstimes reported that the US, which is the WHO’s biggest contributor, accused the WHO last week of “mismanaging” the Covid-19 crisis, drawing ire from Beijing as both countries spar over the deadly virus.
In announcing the funding freeze last week, US President Donald Trump accused WHO of covering up the seriousness of the Covid-19 outbreak in China before it spread.
According to Trump, US taxpayers provided between US$400 million and $500 million per year to the WHO.
Trump also claimed the outbreak could have been contained with "very little death" had the WHO assessed the situation in China accurately.
The deadly virus, which has claimed more than 181,000 lives worldwide, first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, which was locked down in late January to curb the spread.
It continued its global march, however, with cases reported in 193 countries and territories to date, ravaging economies around the globe.
Beijing has urged the US to support WHO-led international action against the pandemic after it halted funding, while observers warned that the US freeze would have consequences for the WHO's other disease control programmes around the world.
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