China Pledges US$30mn More For WHO's Covid-19 Fight

Beijing said on Thursday it would donate a further US$30 million to the World Health Organization (WHO), which is seeking more than US$1 billion to fund its battle against the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 180,000 people worldwide.

The pledge comes about a week after US President Donald Trump suspended funding to the WHO and accused the Geneva-based organisation of promoting Chinese "disinformation" about the virus, which emerged in the central city of Wuhan last year.

"At this crucial moment, supporting WHO is supporting multilateralism and global solidarity," Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman of the foreign ministry in Beijing, said on Twitter.

The donation aimed to support the global fight against COVID-19, in particular strengthening health systems in developing countries, she said, adding that China had already donated US$20 million to the WHO on March 11.

On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he hoped the Trump administration would reconsider its decision.

"I hope the US believes that this an important investment, not just to help others, but for the US to stay safe also," Tedros said during a virtual briefing.

The United States contributed more than US$400 million to the WHO in 2019, or roughly 15% of the organisation's budget. (Reuters)