China pledges additional $30 million for World Health Organization

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday announced that the country will give the World Health Organization an additional $30 million, after donating $20 million in cash to WHO on March 11 to help fight the global coronavirus outbreak.

Why it matters: Some critics of the Trump administration’s recent call to suspend WHO funding argue that decision would increase China’s influence over the international organization.

• Trump announced the 60-to-90-day hold on funding last week, accusing WHO of "severely mismanaging and covering up" the virus crisis.
• China's financial commitment aims to "support its global fight against COVID-19, in particular strengthening developing countries' health systems," according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.

By the numbers: China gave the WHO $86 million in 2018-2019, Axios' Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian reports.

• The United States, by far the largest single contributor, gifted $893 million in that same period.

What they're saying: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the agency under Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has been “actively fulfilling its duties and upholding an objective, scientific and impartial stance," according to the Washington Post.

What's next: The WHO will hold a member meeting next month where Australia is anticipated to call for an international investigation into the pandemic’s origins.

• Geng said China opposes the investigation, noting it would amount to “political manipulation and interference in the international collaboration” to stop the pandemic.

Go deeper... Poll: Americans' views of China darken dramatically