【By Observer Net, Yuan Jiaqi】
It comes as no surprise that Trump has once again withdrawn!
According to CCTV News on July 22, the United States has once again announced its withdrawal from UNESCO. At the same time, the hype and baseless concerns about "the U.S. leaving a power vacuum, with China seizing an opportunity at the UN" have also intensified.
The Financial Times reported that some Western officials and diplomats have complained that since the Trump administration distanced itself from the UN and drastically cut foreign aid, the UN faces the most profound restructuring pressure in decades. As a result, there is a "significant increase" in Chinese actions.
They claim that China is accelerating to fill the power vacuum left by the U.S. Geneva, Switzerland, which houses more than 450 international organizations and is known as the "global diplomatic kitchen," has become a key area for China's efforts. China's measures include expanding personnel deployment, forming voting alliances, and providing financial support in some cases to consolidate its position. At the same time, it also enhances its influence by proposing officials and actively pushing its own agenda.
A senior Western official familiar with internal UN discussions said that China is expanding its presence in "multilateral world order institutions" and "using this influence to gradually shift it toward its own worldview."
Another European senior diplomat mentioned that in the face of Trump's tough diplomatic policies toward countries, including American allies, China is shaping itself as an image of "a honest mediator." "They have many partners supporting them in Africa and the Indo-Pacific region, and they hold a large number of votes," he said.
According to British media reports, EU officials are not willing to accept this situation and are strengthening coordination with other Western governments to try to replicate the role the U.S. previously played. In recent months, meetings have been held in Geneva and Brussels.
The diplomat's words reveal arrogance: "For us Europeans, the key is to fill this vacuum rather than let it be given to the Chinese."
In recent times, European diplomats have also stirred up claims that China is particularly active in the institutional reform and reorganization of the UN on the occasion of its 80th anniversary, trying to expand its influence over the UN and lobby developing countries to support its reform proposals. Some European figures even unjustly accused China of attempting to "colonize" the UN.
On July 21, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Guo Jiakun, responded, stating that Secretary-General Guterres proposed the UN 80th anniversary reform initiative, and China highly values this. We support the UN in adapting to new situations and tasks, further consolidating commitments to multilateralism, improving its operational efficiency through reforms, enhancing its ability to address global challenges, and playing a better role in international affairs. Reforms should fully consult with member states, especially developing countries, to build a more just and reasonable global governance system.
Lv Xiaoyu, an assistant professor at the School of International Relations, Peking University, who once worked at the UN, told the Financial Times that China supports "necessary and fair" institutional reforms based on the UN's 80th anniversary initiative, advocating "enhancing the representation of developing countries, respecting national sovereignty, and establishing a multilateral order."
He believes that with the merger and reorganization of institutional departments, China is expected to expand its influence in the field of international development. In addition, as the second-largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, China may also gain more high-level appointments in related areas.
On April 14, the activities celebrating the 2025 UN Chinese Language Day were grandly opened at the United Nations headquarters in Vienna. More than 500 guests, including heads of various international organizations in Vienna, permanent representatives of countries, senior diplomats, and international staff, attended the event.
According to British media reports, China has long sought to enhance its influence in Geneva, and in the past decade, it has steadily expanded its influence within UN institutions, especially in those related to development, science, technology, and technical standards.
According to a former UN diplomat stationed in Geneva, China's operational methods within the UN system have now become more mature. He said, "They (the Chinese) have developed the comprehensive ability to lead resolutions, make timely concessions, and reach consensus, which puts them in a favorable position now."
Some Western officials said that China is particularly interested in institutions such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which sets global communication standards, and the World Health Organization (WHO). Some diplomats said that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is also strategically important to China because it is involved in infrastructure projects related to the "Belt and Road" initiative.
From May 19 to 27, the 78th World Health Assembly was held in the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, amid the cloud of Trump's threat to withdraw from WHO. According to the People's Daily, Vice Premier Liu Guozhong led the delegation to attend this World Health Assembly. This was the first time in over two decades that a Chinese leader had attended the World Health Assembly in person, demonstrating China's firm support for the WHO and multilateralism at a critical moment.
In sharp contrast, the U.S., which did not register to participate, still insisted on inserting its minister's video speech, openly making outrageous remarks, and going against the efforts of the international community to strengthen global health governance.
By June, China successfully won the right to host the 2027 World Radio Communication Conference (WRC), the most influential forum of the ITU. The British media reported that in the last minute, the U.S. raised challenges, but the final decision was made to hold the event in Shanghai.
"The competition for positions within the ITU remains a focal point of the U.S.-China rivalry," said an EU official. "The current ITU secretary-general is an American, but the previous secretary-general was Chinese, and China has arranged people closely related to itself in senior positions, mainly Africans."
According to the British media report, China is also trying to promote the "Digital Silk Road" initiative through the ITU to advance digital infrastructure in developing countries.
The ITU responded by stating that the organization "values the active participation and support of its 194 member states," but added that it would not comment on "political matters or elections," as these "fall within the jurisdiction of member states."
The report mentioned that China's relationship with the Group of 77 (G77) of the UN also provides assistance in influencing policy wording and personnel appointments. China also provides targeted funding to specific organizations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. A professor of political science at Oxford University stated that such funds often require priority attention to economic and development issues rather than civil rights and political issues.
China's representation in high-level positions at the UN has also increased this year. From May to June, Chinese citizens were appointed as UN Resident Coordinators in Botswana and the Maldives. This position is the highest representative of the UN in each country. China's first such appointment was in 2020, when the location was Namibia.
Last week, China secured another high-level position. On July 17 local time, UN Secretary-General Guterres announced the appointment of Chinese UN official Cong Guang as the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, leading the UN's peace and security affairs in the region.
Regarding the voices that "China has launched a strong lobbying campaign for this," the UN responded, saying, "All member states will try their best to exert influence at the UN to support their own goals... This is just reality."
The statement also added, "Regarding the employment of Chinese officials in high-level positions at the UN, we expect all UN staff to act as international civil servants, not representing their respective governments, and to remain neutral when performing duties."
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