China has officially nominated health official Song Li to run for director-general of the World Health Organization, aiming to succeed Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The move is seen as an effort by Beijing to expand its influence within United Nations agencies following the United States' withdrawal from the organization under Donald Trump. Song, a maternal health expert, faces a field of six other declared candidates and potential scrutiny over China's pandemic-era relationship with the agency.
China's nomination of Song Li
- ▪Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on October 8, 2026, that China believes Song Li, if elected director-general of the World Health Organization, will help play a more active role in improving global health
- ▪If elected, Song Li would be the second Chinese national to head the World Health Organization, following Margaret Chan
- ▪China's Foreign Ministry confirmed on October 8, 2026, that Beijing has nominated health official Song Li as a candidate to lead the World Health Organization
- ▪If elected, Song Li would succeed the incumbent World Health Organization Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Song Li's professional background
- ▪In 2020, Song Li served as editor-in-chief of a national standard-setting paper providing guidance on COVID-19 prevention and control for women in China
- ▪Song Li is a senior public health official with 20 years of expertise in maternal and child health policy and international cooperation
The World Health Organization Director-General election
- ▪Six candidates representing Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Qatar, Botswana, Indonesia, and Spain have made their candidacies for World Health Organization director-general public on the World Health Organization's website
- ▪The World Health Organization plans to release the complete list of director-general nominees, including Song Li's, after final regional committee meetings expected in early November 2026
China's efforts to expand its influence
- ▪China has announced additional funding for the World Health Organization but remains far from filling the financial gap in WHO funding left by the United States
- ▪Beijing has sought to take on more responsibility within United Nations agencies as the United States under President Donald Trump winds down its engagement
- ▪Diplomats stated that China's planned nomination of Song Li was a clear sign that Beijing wanted to expand its influence and fill a void at the World Health Organization left by the United States
United States withdrawal from the World Health Organization
- ▪The administration of United States President Donald Trump criticized the World Health Organization's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing the agency of bias toward China
- ▪The United States withdrew from the World Health Organization under President Donald Trump, losing the agency's largest donor and forcing a sweeping restructuring, scaling back activities and eliminating thousands of jobs
Tensions over pandemic response
- ▪Song Li could face scrutiny during the World Health Organization director-general election due to lingering tensions over the World Health Organization's relationship with China during the COVID-19 pandemic
- ▪The World Health Organization has rejected accusations from the administration of United States President Donald Trump that the agency was biased toward China
Debatable claims
- ▪China's expanding influence in the WHO does more harm than good for global health
- ▪The WHO should reject China's nominee Song Li as its next director-general
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