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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world together in order to combat this crisis. Different countries are taking different steps, to develop vaccines, protect people, and help the world. In light of this, China’s President Xi Jinping has announced that China will contribute $2B for COVID-19. He told the World Health Assembly’s 73rd meeting that this extra $2 billion will help countries badly hit by COVID-19. This announcement comes at a controversial time when world powers are going head to head against each other. The WHO and China both are being chastised for poor handling of the crisis.
$2B for COVID-19
The US blames the WHO for colluding with China to hide the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the initial stages. The US also blames the WHO for an abysmal response that led to a worldwide pandemic. Both the WHO and China vehemently deny these allegations. The US has even cut its funding to the WHO which is significant since the US is the WHO’s primary backer. Hence, China pledging $2 Billion comes off as a move to fill in this funding and power vacuum. The US’s move to cut funding to WHO has not been taken well within the natives and also abroad.
This was the first virtual WHO assembly. It focused on building international consensus over the research and production of a vaccine. Enhanced measures like treatments and testing to combat the Coronavirus were also on the agenda. The assembly was the latest zone of conflict between the US and China. Over the last few weeks, the US has been repeatedly blaming China for the pandemic. China, however, claims that all this slander. China says that this is done to shift the blame from the county’s own mishandling of the crisis within the country.
During the assembly, China praised the WHO’s attempts to assist the world in fighting the Coronavirus. Alex Azar, who is the US Secretary of Health and Human Services took an opposing stand to this. Alex said that the WHO’s failure to handle this crisis has led to thousands of deaths and shouldn’t be repeated. He also made a veiled attack at China by saying that at least one member had tried to suppress the outbreak of COVID-19. He called for more transparency within the WHO and said that WHO coming clean was the need of the hour.
116 countries supported a draft resolution that aims to assess the WHO’s functioning during the pandemic. This draft resolution also aims to investigate where and how the Coronavirus originated. China is opposed to this since it believes that the investigation is an attempt to scapegoat it. The draft resolution, however, wants a probe that is comprehensive, fair, and also independent.
Final Thoughts
China announcing $2 Billion to help fight Coronavirus is a welcome move. The entire world is reeling under the impact of the pandemic and any contribution to the fight is welcome. The US needs to reassess its priorities at this time. This is a time when international cooperation is a must. Both US and China need to find an amicable solution to their feud.
