Reuters exclusive: WHO - Interview with the delegate of China

ST.GALLEN (Reuters) - Reuters got the chance to interview the delegate of China today before the sessions of today’s debates have startet:

As Reuters has not been present at the WHO sessions yesterday, may China give us some insight about how China has perceived the first sessions?

China has generally perceived the debates as very collaborative so far, although there were some minor attacks and baseless accusations on China at first, the other delegations were open for a constructive and fruitful debate. We have responded accordingly and reject all baseless accusations. The US has been very cooperative with us since we share a few interests. As of now, China is collaborating well with the US.

How well and in what approach does the US show its willingness to collaborate?

The US and China have negotiated in several unmoderated caucuses and have agreed to not attack each other in this committee. The US, as they may leave the WHO next year, “have nothing to lose” if the WHO becomes stronger in the future. Our common goal is to strengthen the WHO by means of funding etc. I cannot say more than that.

What does China think is currently the biggest challenge in the WHO, and are there any delegations who are less collaborative?

The biggest challenge by far is funding the WHO and reinstating its authority across the globe. People are losing trust in this organization, partly because it is caught in the crossfire between China and the US. By working together with the US, we hope to make the organization more neutral and appealing to the rest of the world.

Thank you for this insightful response, are there any further comments or statements China wishes to give to the WHO and the world?

China would like to emphasize on its importance on the cooperation between USA and China, although, the US has signaled its withdrawal from the WHO earlier this year.

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