China has nominated health official Song Li to lead the World Health Organization (WHO), a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday, as Beijing seeks to expand its presence in international governing bodies.
The World Health Assembly is scheduled to elect the next WHO head in May. The successful candidate will succeed Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is completing his second five-year term and is barred from running again under WHO rules.
“China’s nomination of Dr Song Li to run for the position reflects China’s willingness to work with all parties to jointly promote the building of a community of health for all humanity, and demonstrates China’s firm support for multilateralism and the WHO,” spokesperson Mao Ning said.
Song is a senior public health official who has played an active role in crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Her areas of expertise include maternal and child healthcare policies and international cooperation, according to an official biography.
China has been seeking greater roles in United Nations institutions in recent years, at a time when the United States, under President Donald Trump, has withdrawn from dozens of international and UN bodies.
Chinese nationals have led as many as four UN organisations simultaneously, but currently head only one. Qu Dongyu of China heads the Food and Agriculture Organization, based in Rome.
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