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$500 Million Pledge Makes China Top WHO Donor After U.S. Withdrawal

Published: May. 23, 2025 4:09 a.m. GMT+8

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U.S. withdrawal forces health agency to cut staff and reduce 2026-27 spending by 20%

China has pledged $500 million over five years to the World Health Organization, stepping in as the largest state donor after the United States’ withdrawal from the United Nations health agency.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong made the commitment on Tuesday during the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva. The pledge comes as the WHO grapples with its deepest financial crisis in decades, caused by the Trump administration’s decision in January to withdraw from the agency and stop funding. The U.S., previously the largest contributor, left a $600 million shortfall in the organization’s 2025 budget.

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China pledged $500 million over five years to the WHO, becoming its largest state donor after the U.S. withdrew, leaving a $600 million budget gap.
The World Health Assembly approved a reduced $4.2 billion budget for 2026–2027 and increased mandatory member contributions, with additional pledges of at least $170 million from other countries.
The assembly adopted a new WHO Pandemic Agreement to strengthen global pandemic preparedness and response, approved by 124 votes to 0, with 11 abstentions.

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Who’s Who

Joep Lange Institute: According to the article, the Joep Lange Institute is based in Amsterdam and is associated with Christoph Benn, who is its director of Global Health Diplomacy. The institute is involved in global health discussions, as evidenced by Benn's comments on the World Health Organization and American health expertise.

National Public Radio: National Public Radio (NPR) is an American non-profit media organization that produces and distributes news and cultural programming. NPR is known for its in-depth reporting and analysis on national and international events. In the article, Christoph Benn from the Joep Lange Institute provided comments in an interview with NPR, underscoring the organization’s role in global health coverage.

AI generated, for reference only