The US decision to freeze funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) will weaken the organization's capabilities, undermine international collaboration and affect all countries, including the United States, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday
BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th April, 2020) The US decision to freeze funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) will weaken the organization's capabilities, undermine international collaboration and affect all countries, including the United States, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday.
US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he had instructed his administration to stop US funding for WHO, which he accused of grossly mismanaging and covering-up the spread of the novel coronavirus.
"China is deeply concerned about the US decision to stop funding for WHO. As the most respected and professional international organization in the field of public health security, WHO plays an indispensable role in resolving public health crises," Zhao said at a briefing.
According to him, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO, under the leadership of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has effectively fulfilled its obligations and played a central role in coordinating the actions of the international community, and this has been universally recognized.
"We are currently in a crucial stage of combating the epidemic. This US decision will weaken the WHO's capabilities and undermine international cooperation, it will affect all countries, including the United States, but especially countries with weak health systems," the diplomat noted.
China calls on Washington to fulfill its obligations regarding supporting the WHO, Zhao added.
On March 11, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. The total number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has surpassed 1.9 million cases and the death toll has topped 126,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
