US ‘addicted to quitting’ – China

In wake of decision to leave WHO, Foreign Ministry calls behavior selfish

BEIJING (Reuters) – China said on Monday the United States was “addicted to quitting” following a US decision to leave the World Health Organization (WHO) and said the withdrawal reveals a pursuit of power politics and unilateralism.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters during a daily briefing that the international community disagreed with what he described as the selfish behavior of the United States.

“The US has become addicted to quitting groups and scrapping treaties,” said Zhao.

US President Donald Trump announced on Friday the United States would cut ties with the WHO, accusing the UN agency of becoming a puppet of China.

The WHO has denied Trump’s assertions that it promoted Chinese “disinformation” about the virus.

Trump’s decision came after a pledge by Chinese President Xi Jinping to give $2 billion to the WHO over the next two years to help combat the novel coronavirus, which emerged in China late last year.

The EU on Saturday urged the United States to reconsider its decision.

China calls on the international community to provide more political support and funding for the WHO, said Zhao.

The US decision to quit the Geneva-based agency comes amid growing tension between the United States and China over the coronavirus outbreak.

Since taking office, Trump has questioned the value of the United Nations and scorned the importance of multilateralism as he focuses on an “America First” agenda.

He has quit the UN Human Rights Council, the UN cultural agency UNESCO, a global accord to tackle climate change, the Iran nuclear deal and opposed a UN migration pact.