China nominates Song Li for WHO chief as agency faces funding shake-up from US exit

What has China nominated Song Li to do, and why is her nomination notable?

China has nominated health official Song Li to run for director general of the World Health Organization. The director general leads the United Nations health agency, so the nomination could influence how the WHO responds to global health challenges.

The nomination is notable because Song would be the first person from mainland China to hold the post if elected. China previously supported Margaret Chan, who was born in Hong Kong and served as director general from 2007 to 2017. Song has more than two decades of experience in maternal and children’s health.

Her candidacy comes during an important transition. The United States has left the WHO, creating a major funding gap, while China has pledged an additional US$500 million over five years. Six other candidates have declared bids, and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will complete his second term next August.

What is the World Health Organization, and what does its director general do?

The World Health Organization is the United Nations health agency. Countries use it to work together on health problems that cross borders, including disease outbreaks, health emergencies, and improving people’s well-being. The article describes its mission as helping improve the health and well-being of all humanity.

The director general is the organization’s top official. This leader sets broad priorities, manages the secretariat, represents the WHO internationally, and works with governments and health partners. The director general also helps coordinate the agency’s response when global health threats demand cooperation.

The role matters especially now because the WHO faces a changing funding system and the United States’ withdrawal. China’s foreign ministry said the director general would be particularly important as the agency navigates this new landscape. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is due to finish his second term in August next year.

How is the WHO director general chosen, and who else is competing for the position?

WHO member countries choose the director general through the organization’s governing bodies. Member states nominate candidates, the Executive Board considers the field, and the World Health Assembly elects the director general. The winner serves a five-year term and may serve a second term under current WHO rules.

This contest includes Song Li, China’s nominee. Six other candidates have already made their bids public on the WHO website. They represent Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Qatar, Botswana, Indonesia, and Spain. The WHO expects to publish the full list of candidates early next month.

The election will determine who follows Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He is due to complete his second term as director general in August next year. The article does not name the other candidates individually, only their countries, so the competition’s full shape will become clearer when the complete list is published.

How much funding did the WHO receive from the United States, how much does China now account for, and what money is at stake?

The United States was the WHO’s largest financial contributor before formally leaving in January. However, the article does not state the total amount the WHO had received from the United States. It does state that Washington owes about US$260 million in unpaid assessed contributions.

China has become one of the agency’s largest funding sources. Under the WHO’s 2026–27 financing scale, China accounts for more than 20 per cent of assessed contributions. China also pledged an additional US$500 million to the WHO over the next five years.

The figures show why the transition matters financially. The United States remains assessed at 22 per cent despite its withdrawal, but its departure has left the WHO facing a significant funding gap. The unpaid US$260 million adds pressure, while China’s pledge offers additional support but does not automatically replace all lost American funding.

What happens to the WHO’s work when its largest financial contributor leaves and unpaid contributions create a funding gap?

When the WHO loses its largest financial contributor, it has fewer resources for its international health work. A funding gap can make it harder to maintain programs, support countries, respond to emergencies, and plan long-term projects. The article directly links the US departure to a significant funding gap, but does not list specific program cuts.

The mechanism is straightforward: assessed contributions and other funding support the agency’s operations. The United States had been the largest contributor, yet Washington owes about US$260 million in unpaid assessed contributions. That missing money reduces available resources and makes financial planning more difficult.

China has pledged an additional US$500 million over five years and accounts for more than 20 per cent of assessed contributions under the 2026–27 scale. That support may help, but it does not erase the disruption caused by the US withdrawal. The funding change also raises the importance of the next director general’s leadership.

Why has the WHO become a source of tension between the United States and China, especially over the Covid-19 pandemic?

The WHO became a source of US-China tension because the agency’s handling of Covid-19 was tied to wider disagreements between the two countries. Washington questioned whether the WHO was sufficiently independent from Beijing, while China rejected what it viewed as political attacks. The dispute continued after the emergency itself.

Early in the outbreak, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus worked closely with Chinese officials and met President Xi Jinping in Beijing in January 2020. The United States increasingly challenged the WHO’s handling of the pandemic and its relationship with China.

In April 2020, Donald Trump called the agency “China-centric” and threatened to stop US funding. Last year, the WHO said it was still seeking information from China to assess Covid-19’s origins. Beijing rejected suggestions that it had failed to cooperate. These disputes helped shape the US decision to leave the WHO.

What is multilateralism, and why do countries use organizations such as the WHO to address global health problems?

Multilateralism is cooperation among several countries through shared rules and institutions. Global health problems often cross borders, so countries need common systems for exchanging information, coordinating responses, and supporting one another. The WHO is the United Nations health agency built for this kind of cooperation.

The WHO can bring governments together around shared health goals. Its director general represents the agency, coordinates international work, and helps organize responses to health threats. During Covid-19, Tedros worked with Chinese officials, while the agency sought information needed to assess the virus’s origins.

The article presents multilateralism as being under pressure. Mao Ning said global health faced a difficult task amid challenges to multilateralism. China said Song Li’s nomination demonstrated support for multilateralism and the WHO. The agency’s funding crisis and US-China tensions show how political disagreements can affect shared health institutions.

Key Facts:

📌 China nominated Song Li for WHO director general.

📌 Song could become mainland China’s first WHO director general.

📌 China pledged an additional US$500 million to the WHO.

📌 The WHO is the United Nations health agency.

📌 Its director general leads the agency’s international work.

📌 Tedros is due to complete his second term next August.

📌 Six other candidates have publicly entered the race.