BEIJING – China announced Thursday it had put forward a candidate to lead the World Health Organization — a move that could signal intent to expand its influence at the WHO after the United States quit, even though questions persist about Beijing’s transparency over the COVID-19 pandemic.
China has nominated maternity health expert Song Li for the top position at the U.N. agency, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a news briefing.
U.S. President Donald Trump has long accused the WHO of being a “puppet of China,“?in particular during the COVID-19 pandemic, and pulled the United States out of the WHO following his return to office in January 2025.
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