China calls on US to pay its UN debts

United Nations, May 16: China on Friday issued a statement calling on all UN member states to “actively fulfill their financial obligations to the United Nations,” stressing that Washington owes the organisation more than $2 billion. “As of May 14, the total unpaid assessments under the UN regular budget and peacekeeping budget amount to $1.63 billion and $2.14 billion respectively,” the Chinese statement said, citing a report from UN Secretary-General’s office and a meeting held on Thursday.

Including arrears that stretch back several years, “the United States is the largest debtor, owing $1.165 billion and $1.332 billion respectively,” China added. The US is the biggest contributor to the UN budget, paying 22 percent of its annual running costs, a bill which adds up to around $3 billion, and 25 percent of its peacekeeping operations, which amount to some $6 billion a year.

Officially, Washington is meant to pay 27.89 percent of the peacekeeping budget, but a decision made by Congress and implemented by President Donald Trump in 2017 cut that payment to 25 percent, meaning Washington runs up an annual shortfall of $200 million.

The United States also has a fiscal that runs from October to October, which can make it look like an even bigger debtor at certain times of the year. There was no immediate response from the US to China’s statement. The payment of contributions by member countries for peacekeeping operations has a direct impact on the reimbursements the UN pays to countries that contribute troops to missions around the world.