China has long sought greater influence in international bodies. Now, as the White House cuts funding for the United Nations and other global organizations, it finally has its chance.
And instead of trying to match America’s deep pockets, as once seemed necessary, Beijing can gain influence on the cheap.
The Trump administration has canceled billions in funding for the United Nations, the U.S. Agency for International Development and other international aid agencies. The clawback has aggravated a preexisting U.N. budget crisis, prompting widespread cuts.
Chinese officials have long denounced multilateral efforts on labor rights, minority rights and other areas as an excuse for meddling in countries’ affairs. They are seizing the opportunity to diminish that work. At meetings in Geneva, the center of U.N. human rights work, China has joined with Cuba, Iran, Russia and Venezuela to propose saving money by scaling back human rights inquiries, a New York Times investigation found.
Chinese officials have argued that while Washington is pulling back, Beijing is upholding global values. On Sept. 12, a Chinese former U.N. official wrote in China Daily, a state-run newspaper, that with the “doubts and challenges facing the U.N., it is notable that China has been a steadfast supporter of the U.N.’s global governance endeavors, standing firm in shaping solutions to global challenges.”
Influence for Less
In fact, China has contributed to the U.N. budget crunch by paying its dues so late in the year that they cannot be used. But the U.S. retreat is overshadowing that reality.
“We’ve seen China in recent days move to position themselves rhetorically as a defender of multilateralism and a responsible member state,” said Eugene Chen, a former U.N. official now at a U.N. research organization.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington said in a statement that “international institutions are platforms for international cooperation, not arenas for geopolitical rivalry. China has never intended to challenge or replace the United States.”
At a recent gathering of leaders from countries including India, Russia and many Central Asian nations in the Chinese city of Tianjin, President Xi Jinping of China introduced what he called a “Global Governance Initiative,” an extensive but loosely defined vision for reshaping international institutions. The proposal called for a greater voice for developing nations, in line with Beijing’s push to curb Western dominance in global bodies.
The U.N. secretary general, António Guterres, who attended the meeting, welcomed Mr. Xi’s proposal. “We are moving towards a multipolar world,” he said.
Beyond the United Nations, Beijing is filling some of the gap left by Washington in global aid, though on a leaner budget. When an earthquake devastated Myanmar in March, China swiftly dispatched search-and-rescue teams to comb through the rubble. The United States sent help later, taking longer than usual because of upheaval at U.S.A.I.D.
And after President Trump withdrew from World Health Organization this year, China pledged $500 million in funding over five years — far less than the United States most likely would have paid, but enough to win it headlines and good will.
A Selective Approach
Mr. Trump’s pick for U.N. ambassador, Michael Waltz, said at his confirmation hearing in July that it was “absolutely critical” for the United States to counter China at the United Nations. But the White House has said that the global body does not serve U.S. interests, and that China already has too much influence over its operations.
The Trump administration has not yet announced the results of a sweeping review, due last month, into U.S. involvement in international organizations. The review is expected to prompt an American withdrawal from more U.N. agencies. Mr. Trump withdrew from several agencies this year.
American diplomats have told their European counterparts in Geneva that going forward, the White House will take a selective approach to the United Nations. That most likely means staying in technical agencies that set policy on critical technologies but retreating from broader ones that work on issues like human rights and development.
But even at the technical agencies, there are signs that Washington is losing ground. In June, China won a bid to host a crucial 2027 conference for the International Telecommunication Union, a U.N. agency that sets policy for satellite communication and internet cables, defeating a last-minute bid from the United States.
European diplomats in Geneva said they fear that with the United States largely absent at the United Nations, some agencies will be ceded to a loose alliance of largely undemocratic countries in which China plays an influential role.
“There was a more strategic way of doing this, instead of letting China say, ‘We’re going to bring in some small amount money to keep this project going,’” said Allison Lombardo, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington and a former State Department official. “That’s a public diplomacy win for them. All over the world now, they can point to where the United States is absent.”
Mara Hvistendahl is an investigative reporter on the International desk. You can reach her at [email protected]
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