China announces candidate for WHO chief

Weakened by the U.S. withdrawal and other countries’ cutting foreign aid spending, the WHO was forced to undergo sweeping reforms last year. | REUTERS

AFP-JIJI

Oct 9, 2026

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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