The World Health Organization's statement is expected to greatly anger the United States, as the WHO has essentially taken a stand against the U.S.! Just after the U.S. announced its withdrawal from the WHO, the WHO responded, stating that the U.S. must pay all outstanding fees before leaving. On January 23, the Chinese Embassy in Japan published the WHO's statement, indicating that the U.S. had officially withdrawn from the WHO through the proper procedures. The WHO spokesperson, Lindmier, stated earlier that the U.S. has the right to withdraw.
But the condition is that the U.S. must settle all previous overdue membership fees. Currently, the U.S. has not paid the 2024 and 2025 annual contributions, totaling approximately $260 million. Obviously, the WHO clearly states that the U.S. can withdraw, but it must do so according to the procedures, and the U.S. should pay the fees first. It is estimated that upon seeing the WHO's statement, the U.S. will be very angry.
The WHO did not even try to persuade the U.S. to stay, but instead directly asked for money, which indicates that the WHO is also upset about the U.S.'s actions. Of course, the U.S. definitely does not want to pay this amount. However, if the U.S. does not pay now and then leaves, it will affect the U.S.'s image. If the U.S. wants to rejoin the WHO in the future, the WHO may require the U.S. to pay back the principal and interest before restoring its membership, which would be a loss for the U.S.
The WHO's firm response actually tells the U.S. that things must be handled according to the rules, and international regulations will not be compromised because of a powerful country, even if that country is the U.S. Now, the U.S. wants to leave the group and avoid paying, but the WHO openly names the U.S., exposing the U.S.'s irresponsible behavior. The international community does not accept the "America First" theory.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855093037959178/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.