Trump leaves a vacuum in the UN, China seizes the opportunity

China is making strong efforts to expand its influence within the United Nations, using Donald Trump's disdain for multilateralism to more aggressively appoint its officials and push Beijing's agenda, the Financial Times (FT) reports, citing informed sources.

After cuts in US foreign aid led to what could be the most radical reorganisation of the UN in decades, China has stepped up efforts to fill the vacuum, particularly at the diplomatic hub in Geneva, several officials and diplomats told the British newspaper.

These efforts include increasing Chinese staff numbers, building voting coalitions and, in some cases, financial contributions aimed at strengthening its position in the city dubbed the “kitchen of global diplomacy,” which is home to more than 450 international organizations.

Agencies of particular interest to China include the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which sets global standards in communications, and the World Health Organization (WHO), according to Western officials.

China has long sought to strengthen its influence in Geneva and has been gradually expanding its presence in UN agencies for almost a decade, particularly in those dealing with development, technology and technical standards. Although China contributes more than 15 percent of the UN's regular budget, second only to the United States, which contributes 22 percent, it remains underrepresented in terms of staff.

A study by Shing-hon Lam of the University of California and Courtney J. Fang of Macquarie University found that China had nearly 1.600 UN staff in 2022, compared to more than 5.000 from the US, even as it builds new staffing channels through internship programs.

Western officials said they have noticed a new wave of activity since the Trump administration began distancing the United States from the United Nations, causing financial pressure that has forced the UN to undertake deep reforms.

China, according to the FT, has been particularly proactive about the reform process, known as the UN80 Initiative, which could include merging departments and significantly streamlining operations.

A senior Western official familiar with internal discussions at the UN said that China is expanding its presence within “the institutions of the multilateral world order... and then using that influence to gradually reorient them towards its own worldview.”

Lu Xiaoyu, a professor at Peking University and former UN consultant, argues that China supports “necessary and fair” UN reforms under the UN80 Initiative. He said that Beijing advocates “stronger representation of the global South, respect for national sovereignty, and the multilateral order.”

“Given the possible merger of development agencies within the UN80, China is well positioned to expand its influence in the field of international development,” Xiaoyu told the FT, adding that, as the second largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping missions, it is likely to receive more senior positions in that segment.

A senior European diplomat has said China is presenting itself as an "honest broker" in response to Donald Trump's often-tense foreign policy, even towards US allies.

Asked about accusations that China is using UN80 reforms to its advantage, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that Beijing supports the UN "in responding to new circumstances and tasks, further strengthening all parties' commitment to multilateralism, improving efficiency through reforms, increasing capacity to deal with global challenges, and playing a better role in international affairs."

The spokesman said the reforms "should take seriously the views of UN member states, especially developing countries, and make global governance more just and equitable."

One former UN diplomat said China has become more sophisticated in the way it operates within the system. “They have honed their ability to lead resolutions, to make concessions and to build consensus. That now puts them in a very advantageous position,” he said.

Another senior European diplomat said China is presenting itself as an “honest broker” in response to Donald Trump’s often-aggressive foreign policy, even towards US allies. “They have a lot of African and Indo-Pacific countries on their side, that’s a lot of voices,” he said.

In response, EU officials said they had begun to align more closely with other Western governments, trying to take on the role traditionally played by the US. “The question for us Europeans is how to fill that vacuum and not leave it to the Chinese,” the diplomat said.

This year, China pledged $500 million to the World Health Organization over five years, the FT recalls, adding that part of the aid is expected to include sending Chinese technical and advisory staff to work at the WHO.

At the World Health Assembly in Geneva in May, Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong expressed support for internal reforms at the WHO and pledged China's support through finances and personnel.

"We have no information on the specific details of China's announcement of the contribution," the WHO said.

China was also selected in June to host the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC), the most influential forum of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The decision to hold the WRC in Shanghai came after the US tried to challenge the bid at the last minute. “Attitudes within the ITU remain the subject of a strong dispute between the US and China,” said an EU official.

Although the ITU is currently headed by American Doreen Bogdan-Martin, her predecessor was Chinese Houlin Zhao. “The Director-General is now American, but China has appointed mostly African people close to Beijing to high positions, such as the current Director of the Development Bureau,” the EU official added.

Kosmas Lakison Zavazava, the former head of Zimbabwe's telecommunications agency, is now the director of the ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau. According to EU officials, Zavazava has been strongly supported by China, which has close ties to Zimbabwe, including in telecommunications infrastructure projects led by Huawei.

China has sought to promote its Digital Silk Road Initiative, which involves expanding digital infrastructure in developing countries, through the ITU. Diplomats also point to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as strategically important to China because of its involvement in infrastructure projects aligned with the Belt and Road Initiative.

The ITU said it "appreciates the strong engagement and support" of its 194 member states, but added that it does not comment "on political issues or elections, as this falls solely under the jurisdiction of member states."

In seeking to influence the language of policies and personnel appointments, Beijing is using its ties to developing countries within the UN, particularly through the Group of 77, a coalition of 133 countries from the global south. Many of these countries have strong trade ties with China or contracted infrastructure projects.

China is also targeting certain organizations for funding, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, where it has increased its contributions from $100.000 in 2017 to $4 million in 2023.

That funding often came with the expectation that economic and development issues would be prioritized over civic and political ones, said Rosemary Foot, a professor of politics at Oxford University.

Outside Geneva, China has further increased its presence in senior positions at the UN this year. In May and June, Chinese nationals were appointed as resident coordinators, the highest-ranking UN representatives in a country, in Botswana and the Maldives. The first such appointment for China was in 2020, in Namibia.

Last week, China secured a new high-ranking post after a Chinese national was appointed as the UN's special envoy for the Horn of Africa, succeeding an official from Ghana.

"They lobbied intensively," said one Geneva official.

The UN, responding to questions from the FT, said that “all member states try to exert influence in various ways to secure support for their goals within the UN... it is simply a fact of life”. It added: “Regarding the representation of Chinese officials in senior positions at the UN, we expect all UN staff to act as international civil servants, not as representatives of their national governments, and to be impartial in the performance of their duties”.