The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations told Congress on June 16 that Beijing’s penetration of the United Nations has caused a “malign influence” with an authoritarian approach, and emphasized the need to enhance U.S. leadership.
“The Chinese have pushed that agenda more aggressively in the past few years than they’ve ever done before,” said Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, speaking to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
Questions were raised by legislators during the 4-hour hearing on the Biden administration’s priorities for engagement with the United Nations, most of which were pointing to China and its influence in the U.N.
“They’re looking to change how the whole multilateral system work. They’re pushing against the values that we have all worked to achieve since the United Nations was formed,” said Thomas-Greenfield.
“Multilateralism,” a practice adopted by Beijing, allows the regime to use the U.N. system—the banner of multilateralism—as the battleground and integrate itself into its multilateral bodies, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on May 7.
“And we need to fight that every step of the way,” the ambassador said, adding the need to secure key positions for Americans or its like-minded allies in the U.N. system and pay its dues to counter China’s growing influence.
“Our adversaries and competitors are investing in the United Nations. We can’t expect to compete unless we do, too.”
Concerns over the communist regime’s human rights abuses of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang and the investigation into the origins of COVID-19 were also raised.
“The genocide is being committed against Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The PRC government is committing crimes against humanity.”
Thomas-Greenfield promised “a robust and transparent” investigation over the origins of the pandemic. Mentioning the previous efforts of the World Health Organization, she said, “I am confident in their abilities to get to the bottom.”
