Global health governance faces a renewed crisis following the United States’ formal withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) on 23 January 2026. The decision, executed by the incoming Trump administration, has reignited diplomatic tensions with Beijing. In a sharp rebuttal on 26 January, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed American allegations regarding its pandemic handling as “groundless”, calling for a return to multilateral cooperation rather than political blame games.
A Return to Nationalism: The US Departure
The United States announced its immediate exit from the Geneva-based body, marking a dramatic shift in its foreign policy stance. This move mirrors a similar attempt in 2020, which was subsequently reversed by the Biden administration in 2021. Justifying the decision, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. issued a joint statement citing alleged WHO bias towards China. The administration levelled serious, though unsubstantiated, accusations regarding Beijing’s early management of the COVID-19 pandemic, alleging delays in reporting and potential cover-ups concerning the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Analysts view this withdrawal as a decisive pivot towards nationalism, threatening to dismantle key aspects of the global public health architecture. By severing ties with the UN’s primary health agency, the US risks isolating itself from critical disease surveillance networks and international scientific exchange. The move has drawn concern from health experts who argue that fragmenting global coordination could leave the world vulnerable to future pandemics, prioritising geopolitical rivalry over collective security.
Beijing Defends Record and Champions Multilateralism
In a firm response during a daily press briefing on 26 January, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun categorically rejected the US narrative. Guo emphasised that China has maintained an “open, transparent, and responsible” approach since the initial outbreak, prioritising human lives and sharing vital data with the international community. “Using COVID-19 as a tool for political manipulation and shifting blame onto China will gain no support and will fail,” Guo stated, warning against the politicisation of scientific inquiry.
Reaffirming Beijing’s commitment to the WHO, Guo described the organisation as the “authority in the field of global public health” and expressed regret over the American departure. He positioned multilateralism as the “cornerstone of the current international order”, contrasting China’s advocacy for a “global community of health for all” against what he termed unilateral disruption. As the US pushes narratives regarding laboratory leaks a theory supported by some intelligence factions but lacking definitive proof the diplomatic chasm widens. With scientific consensus still divided and investigations ongoing, the clash underscores the fragility of international cooperation in an era of intensifying great power competition.