China has always aimed to boost its influence within international organizations. Now, with the White House reducing its financial contributions to the United Nations and other global bodies, China sees a prime opportunity to step up.
What’s more, Beijing can achieve this heightened influence without needing to rival America’s previous significant financial commitments; they can do it quite cost-effectively.
The Trump administration has slashed billions in funding for the United Nations, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and various other international aid programs. This significant reduction has intensified an existing budget crisis at the U.N., leading to extensive cutbacks across its operations.
For a long time, Chinese officials have criticized multilateral initiatives concerning labor rights, minority rights, and similar issues, viewing them as pretexts for interfering in sovereign nations’ internal matters. They are now actively using this moment to scale back such work. A New York Times investigation revealed that in Geneva, a hub for U.N. human rights activities, China, alongside Cuba, Iran, Russia, and Venezuela, has suggested reducing human rights investigations to save costs.
Gaining Influence on a Shoestring Budget
Ironically, China itself has exacerbated the U.N.’s financial woes by consistently delaying its dues payments until so late in the year that the funds become unusable. However, the American withdrawal is largely obscuring this fact.
Eugene Chen, a former U.N. official now working at a U.N. research organization, observed, “In recent days, China has strategically portrayed itself as a champion of multilateralism and a responsible global partner.”
A statement from the Chinese Embassy in Washington asserted, “International institutions are meant for global cooperation, not for geopolitical competition. China has no intention of challenging or replacing the United States.”
During a recent summit in Tianjin, China, attended by leaders from nations including India, Russia, and several Central Asian states, President Xi Jinping unveiled his “Global Governance Initiative.” This broad, though somewhat ill-defined, vision aims to reform international institutions, advocating for developing nations to have a stronger voice and thereby challenge traditional Western dominance in global governance.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, present at the summit, expressed his approval of Mr. Xi’s proposal, stating, “We are transitioning towards a multipolar world.”
Beyond the U.N., Beijing is stepping into some of the void left by Washington’s reduction in global aid, albeit with more modest spending. For instance, after a devastating earthquake hit Myanmar in March, China quickly sent search-and-rescue teams to the affected areas. In contrast, the United States’ response was delayed due to internal disarray at USAID.
Furthermore, following President Trump’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization this year, China committed $500 million in funding over five years. While this amount is considerably less than what the U.S. would typically have contributed, it was sufficient to generate positive international headlines and goodwill for China.
A Strategy of Calculated Engagement
During his confirmation hearing in July, Mr. Trump’s nominee for U.N. ambassador, Michael Waltz, emphasized the “absolute criticality” of the United States countering China’s growing influence at the United Nations. However, the White House has consistently maintained that the global body does not align with American interests and that China already wields excessive power within its functions.
The Trump administration’s extensive review of U.S. participation in international organizations, which was due last month, has not yet yielded its findings. This review is anticipated to lead to further American withdrawals from additional U.N. agencies, building on several such exits initiated by Mr. Trump earlier this year.
In Geneva, American diplomats have informed their European colleagues that the White House plans to adopt a selective strategy toward the United Nations moving forward. This approach will likely involve maintaining engagement with technical agencies that shape policies for crucial technologies, while disengaging from broader organizations focused on areas such as human rights and development.
Nevertheless, even within these technical agencies, there are indications that Washington’s standing is weakening. In June, China successfully secured the bid to host the critical 2027 conference for the International Telecommunication Union (a U.N. agency responsible for satellite communication and internet cable policies), overcoming a late challenge from the United States.
European diplomats in Geneva express concern that with the United States largely withdrawing from the United Nations, certain agencies might fall under the sway of a loose coalition of predominantly undemocratic nations, with China exerting significant influence.
Allison Lombardo, a former State Department official and expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, commented, “There could have been a more strategic approach than simply allowing China to declare, ‘We’ll provide a modest sum to sustain this project.’ This represents a significant public diplomacy victory for them. Now, across the globe, they can highlight instances where the United States has disengaged.”