During the World Health Assembly, Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong explicitly stated his country's commitment to opposing "unilateralism," a term often used by Beijing to criticize Washington amidst increasingly strained relations between the two global powers. "The world is now facing the impacts of unilateralism and power politics, bringing major challenges to global health security," Liu asserted on Tuesday in Geneva. He further emphasized, "China strongly believes that only with solidarity and mutual assistance can we create a healthy world together."
President Trump's directive in January to withdraw the U.S. from the WHO effectively ceded the position of the organization's largest donor and, arguably, its most powerful member country, to China. Liu's pledge of $500 million, to be disbursed over the next five years, stands as a clear illustration of Beijing's strategic intent to step into the global leadership void left by the Trump administration's "America First" foreign policy.
Zhao Minghao, a professor of international relations at Fudan University in Shanghai, commented on the unfolding dynamic, stating, "The Trump administration’s attacks on and contempt for international governance have offered new opportunities for Chinese diplomacy." This sentiment was echoed by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who, also at the assembly on Tuesday, described the WHO as "moribund" and "mired in bureaucratic bloat," reinforcing the narrative of a U.S. disengagement.
In stark contrast, Beijing has actively worked to project an image of itself as a responsible global leader and a staunch defender of the international order, presenting a perceived alternative to U.S. power. Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, China has pursued a more assertive foreign policy aimed at potentially replacing the U.S. as the world’s preeminent power. This strategy necessitates cultivating more international alliances and, critically, seeking to reshape the rules of the global order in its favor.
Professor Zhao anticipates that Beijing will play an increasingly prominent role in international cooperation, not only in public health but also in critical areas such as climate change and the green-energy transition. This is particularly significant given China's dominant position in green technology, producing over 60 percent of the world’s electric cars and 80 percent of the batteries that power them.
Unlike the Trump administration, which ordered the U.S. withdrawal from the landmark Paris Climate Agreement, Beijing has consistently reaffirmed its commitment to the accord and has intensified its investments in green-energy infrastructure across Southeast Asia and other regions. This comprehensive approach signals China's broader ambition to assume a more central and influential role on the world stage.