China nominates health official Song Li to lead WHO

China has nominated health official Song Li to vie for the position of director general of the World Health Organization, the country's foreign ministry announced on Thursday. If elected, Song would be the first individual from mainland China to lead the United Nations health agency. China previously supported Margaret Chan, a Hong Kong-born physician, who served as WHO director general from 2007 to 2017.

Song's nomination comes amid the WHO grappling with a major funding shift following the United States' withdrawal from the organization, while China has pledged to augment its financial backing. Speaking at a routine press conference in Beijing, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated that China believes Song, should she be elected, would assist the WHO in "playing a more positive role in bolstering the health and well-being of all humanity".

"Amid the prevailing challenges to multilateralism, global health confronts a demanding and critical task," Mao added, emphasizing that the role of the director general would be "particularly significant" as the WHO navigates a shifting global landscape. "China's nomination of Dr Song Li underscores China's commitment to collaboration with all parties to create a health community for all, reflecting China's unwavering support for multilateralism and the WHO," Mao said.

Song has devoted over two decades to maternal and children's health and has expertise in health policy and international collaboration, according to the WHO. She previously worked at China's National Health Commission, where she held the position of director general of the Department of Women and Children's Health. Since October 2023, Song has served as a member of the secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation.

China had previously nominated Song to run for the regional director position of the WHO's Western Pacific Regional Office in 2023. The United States officially departed from the WHO in January, finalizing a withdrawal initiated by former President Donald Trump shortly after his return to the White House last year. The US, the WHO's largest financial contributor, left behind a substantial funding deficit, with the agency owing approximately US$260 million in unpaid assessed contributions.

China pledged an additional US$500 million to the WHO last year for the next five years, making it one of the agency's largest sources of funding. Under the WHO's 2026-27 financing scale, China accounts for more than 20% of assessed contributions, while the US remains assessed at 22% despite its withdrawal. The WHO has become a point of contention in US-China relations during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Washington accusing the agency of being too aligned with Beijing, while China alleged the US was politicizing the crisis.

Early in the outbreak, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cooperated closely with Chinese officials and met President Xi Jinping in Beijing in January 2020. The US escalated its criticism of the WHO's handling of the pandemic and its ties to Beijing. In April 2020, President Trump accused the agency of being "China-centric" and threatened to cut US funding.

The tensions have continued since the pandemic. In a report last year, the WHO expressed its need for more information from China to evaluate the origins of COVID-19. Beijing has denied accusations of insufficient cooperation. Song's nomination comes as China aims to assume a more substantial role in multilateral institutions, including UN agencies.

Six other candidates – representing Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Qatar, Botswana, Indonesia, and Spain – have publicly submitted their applications to the WHO's website. The WHO is anticipated to publish the complete list of candidates early next month. Tedros is scheduled to conclude his second term as director general in August of the following year.