As US slashes funding, UN peacekeeping head says global body can rely on China

As the United States dramatically reduces its financial contributions to the United Nations, the organization's chief peacekeeping official has stated that the global body can rely on China's support. UN Undersecretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix made these remarks at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing on Wednesday, highlighting the severe financial strains faced by the UN.

Lacroix emphasized that the UN urgently needs to adapt its tools to modern realities, warning that the global institution's financial situation is concerning member states and cannot be expected to deliver the same results with steadily fewer resources, reduced mobility, and a shrinking field presence. He stressed the UN's responsibility to be efficient, disciplined, transparent, and accountable in its use of pooled resources from member states, calling for a focus on realistic, adaptable goals and constructive cooperation with host nations to maximize the return on invested resources.

Lacroix's appeal in Beijing comes as the Trump administration seeks to disengage from international institutions and cut back on its financial contributions to the UN. Notably, the US did not pay any dues to the UN in 2025, leaving nearly $5 billion in dues unpaid, with $2 billion owed to the regular budget and $3 billion for peacekeeping operations.

The US has also withdrawn from several UN organizations and pulled funding from dozens of others. Lacroix's message was clearly aimed at the US, which has been responsible for about 22% of the UN's regular budget. China, now paying $686 million, or about 20% of the UN's regular budget, paid its remaining dues early this month, providing much-needed support to the organization during these challenging times.