China on Wednesday defended the World Health Organisation and lashed out at the US decision to withdraw from the UN body.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the move was “another demonstration of the US pursuing unilateralism, withdrawing from groups and breaking contracts”.
WHO is “the most authoritative and professional international institution in the field of global public health security,” Zhao said at a daily briefing.
The US departure from the organisation “undermines the international anti-epidemic efforts, and in particular has a serious negative impact on developing countries in urgent need of international support”, Zhao said.
The UN formally announced Tuesday the exit of US from WHO on July 6, 2021 after receiving notification of the decision by President Donald Trump. However, the pullout won’t take effect until next year. That means it could be reversed by a new administration or if circumstances change.
In a series of allegations, Trump has repeatedly accused the agency of becoming a puppet for China during the emergence of the coronavirus, which was first detected in China and spread to trigger a global pandemic.
