By cutting funding to the WHO, the US is shooting itself in the foot.

Great power competition

When announcing the cessation of funding for the WHO, President Donald Trump stated that the WHO must be held accountable for its "dangerous and costly" decisions. These "dangerous and costly" decisions have been repeatedly mentioned by the US in recent days, during a massive media campaign against the multilateral organization. These include the WHO's delay in declaring COVID-19 a global health emergency and subsequently a global pandemic, its delay in acknowledging that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can spread from person to person, and its opposition to the US decision to impose travel restrictions on China…

Donald Trump announced he would stop funding the WHO. Photo: Fox News

President Donald Trump described the WHO's response as "China-centric" and "primarily based on information provided by the Chinese government." He also reiterated that China contributes only $40 million annually to the WHO, just one-tenth of the amount contributed by the US, calling it "unfair" that the US is now experiencing the worst of the pandemic due to the WHO's weak response.

Behind these criticisms lies the shadow of a "great power competition" with China as the target of the US.

Of course, the US criticisms of the WHO's response to the Covid-19 pandemic will take time to clarify. But it's not difficult to see that behind these criticisms lies the shadow of a "great power competition," with the US targeting China, after the two sides had previously engaged in heated debates about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

In fact, after controlling the epidemic domestically with a much lower total number of infections compared to current epicenters like the US, Spain, Italy, and the UK, China immediately intensified its "Covid-19 diplomacy" to restore its image on the international stage. Considered the "country that understands and has the most experience with Covid-19," China continuously announced the dispatch of expert teams to other countries to assist in epidemic control, actively demonstrating its role as a "philanthropist" by providing medical equipment such as masks, protective gear, and ventilators to newly emerging epicenters. Thus, from being the "epicenter" where the disease originated and spread globally, China became a model for epidemic management, while the rapid progression of the epidemic made the US the largest epicenter in the world.

The decision to cut funding for the WHO is a new manifestation of the US-China "great power competition." Photo: The Diplomat

Analysts believe that the announcement to halt funding for the WHO, citing the organization's "China-centric" stance, is an indirect attack on China, undermining its efforts to project an image of a responsible and powerful nation. This is essentially a manifestation of the great power competition between the US and China, following a series of events over the past year, from the trade war and technology war to security disagreements in the Asia-Pacific region.

"The disadvantages outweigh the advantages"?

Although Donald Trump's policy toward the WHO is supported by many hawkish figures in the administration, there are also many who express concern, calling it a "petty political game" that could backfire on the United States. Those who oppose Trump's decision argue that the WHO is an international organization, and its structure is fundamentally based on that of the United Nations.

The US ceasing funding for the WHO is tantamount to indirectly "ceding ground" to China.

Of course, everyone desires an ideal model in which the WHO operates as a politically neutral organization. However, it's undeniable that China's permanent membership in the UN Security Council, along with its veto power, gives it considerable influence within the organization's structures, much like the influence of the United States. The US ceasing funding for the WHO is tantamount to indirectly "ceding ground" to China, giving China the opportunity to exert greater influence within this multilateral organization.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said now is not the time to withdraw funding for the WHO. Photo: Getty

In terms of timing, Donald Trump's move may not be internationally supported, as world leaders are calling for international solidarity to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres himself has shared that the global response to Covid-19 needs to be reviewed, including the responses of individuals, governments, and organizations, including the WHO, to clarify why a disease could emerge and spread on such an unprecedented scale and speed. But that's a task for after the pandemic is over; now is not the time for debates, as it could undermine global solidarity efforts in dealing with Covid-19.

Not only does it have a negative impact on his political standing, but US President Donald Trump's decision could also affect the ongoing fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, which is still ongoing. When asked about the implications of this decision for the tense pandemic situation in the US, Donald Trump himself said he was unsure and that his team would investigate further. Meanwhile, the American Medical Association has urged Donald Trump to reconsider his decision, calling it a dangerous move that would leave the US fight against Covid-19 facing an even more uncertain future.

From a health perspective, the WHO continues to play a crucial role in advising countries on how to handle the COVID-19 health crisis. (Illustration: EPA)

Controlling the Covid-19 pandemic is like controlling a fire; even a small spark anywhere puts all countries at risk of reigniting the flames.

Setting aside political factors and focusing solely on the health aspect, the WHO continues to play a crucial role in advising countries on handling the COVID-19 health crisis, especially in less developed nations. Cutting financial resources could cause the pandemic to spiral out of control in these areas, and given the transmission mechanism of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the disease could easily re-emerge in countries that had previously successfully contained it. Health experts believe that controlling COVID-19 is like controlling a fire; even a small spark can reignite fires in all countries, including the United States. That's why countries need to support the WHO to ensure it can cover all the small fires around the world.

At this point, Donald Trump was considering reopening the economy. But the decision to stop funding the WHO could affect the function that the US itself has criticized the WHO for: providing accurate guidance to countries on protecting their citizens. If the world were to fall into a prolonged cycle of Covid-19 outbreaks, the US would also become a victim, and it is uncertain when Donald Trump's plan to reopen the economy would become a reality.

Diep Khanh