The entire world has been witnessing the growing influence of communist China on international agencies during the last several years. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) clandestinely manipulates world agencies according to their whims and agenda. The COVID-19 pandemic has unveiled a glaring instance of this malign influence through the offices of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The U.S. and other Western countries have accused China of deliberately distorting COVID-19 data. In the midst of these growing allegations, China lobbied the WHO, but it was not to alert the unsuspecting public to take precautions or to declare a public health emergency in the earliest stages of the outbreak. The sole purpose of their lobbying was intended to silence the criticism and close down all investigations into the CCP’s negligence. This caused the virus to spread out of control, then leading to the pandemic and worldwide chaos. As of now, the virus is reported to have taken over 1.6 million lives, and apart from China, it continues to disrupt all world commerce, travel, school, and society.
China has successfully blocked the WHO team from investigating the origin of the virus. The pandemic was first reported in the city of Wuhan on Dec. 31, 2019. Almost a year since the outbreak began, the WHO is still not able (or not willing) to pinpoint the source of COVID-19. To the dismay of many, while the whole world was up in arms against China for its manifestly dismal failings to manage the spread of the pandemic and issue proper and timely warnings about it, the WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, praised Chinese efforts in regard to the COVID-19 management. Adhanom is reportedly very close to the CCP leadership.
Not their first gig
Currently, CCP officials head 4 of the United Nations’ 15 specialized agencies, including the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Food and Agricultural Organization.
Undermining efforts to warn the world of the grave dangers of COVID-19 is just one example of diplomatic exploitation by the CCP using its influence on international organizations to manipulate, cover up, protect, and advance China’s interests.
China’s conniving policy with regard to international agencies was revealed to the world when Taiwan was ousted from the United Nations General Assembly. On Oct. 25, 1971, the United Nations General Assembly voted to admit the People’s Republic of China (communist, mainland China) and expel the democratic Republic of China (Taiwan).
The tactics of the CCP can be revealed in many recent developments. An example is the shelving of recommendations against China by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an action that was widely criticized. It was in reference to a cybersecurity hack, alleged against Beijing, back in 2016. The ICAO is headed by Secretary-General Dr. Fang Liu, who is also a CCP member.
Debt-trap diplomacy
To gain controlling positions in international organizations, Beijing has been employing debt-trap diplomacy. China funds small nations for their development projects with large amounts of finance. These countries often find themselves in a position where they are not able to repay the loans. These developing nations, which are primarily low or middle-income countries, when they are unable to make the repayments on time, will look for concessions. When this happens, the Chinese will demand their support on international platforms and the provision of erecting military bases on their territories, as well as the confiscation of lucrative state assets and resources.
One recent example of a nation caught in this debt-trap diplomacy is Cameroon. The African nation had nominated their candidate to head the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). But, according to The Wall Street Journal, China forced Cameroon to withdraw its candidature in exchange for canceling the US$78 million debt the African nation owed to China.
The current Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) connectivity project is allegedly a key component of this debt-trap diplomacy. The report, Grading China’s Belt and Road, states: “Liabilities for host countries — loss of control, opacity, debt, dual-use potential and corruption — are often strategic assets for Beijing.” The report was published by the Center for a New American Security. Even many of the powerful EU nations and corporations are finding the BRI a self-serving tool of the CCP.
The present world order dominated by the U.S. is currently seeing considerable pushback from Chinese-led undermining. China is the world’s second-largest economy. In 2018, it contributed just US$1.3 billion to the United Nations, compared to the astonishing US$10 billion annual commitment from the U.S. Although the financial representation of Beijing in the United Nations is way below the U.S., they further exploit this difference through manipulation and extortion of the voting rights of smaller nations using debt traps.
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