China on Wednesday criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), calling it inconsistent with the responsibilities of a major power.
“This is not what a major country should do,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference in Beijing when asked about Washington’s move, which will take effect on 31 December, 2026.
"This is the third time the U.S. has withdrawn from UNESCO. This is not the behaviour of a responsible big country," added Guo.
Guo expressed “firm” support for UNESCO, saying many countries had “regretted” the U.S. decision, which he noted came after Washington had “not paid arrears” to the United Nations agency for a “long time.”
He urged countries to “reaffirm their commitment to multilateralism,” citing the UN’s 80th anniversary.
Washington said that continued involvement was not in the U.S. national interest.
"UNESCO works to advance divisive social and cultural causes and maintains an outsized focus on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, a globalist, ideological agenda for international development at odds with our America First foreign policy," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement.
Guo, however, said the purpose of UNESCO is to advance international cooperation in education, science, and culture and uphold peace and common development.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 10th of December, covering the latest developments you need to...
The world’s leading minds and voices will be honoured on Wednesday, 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, as Nobel Prizes are pres...
Heavy artillery fire and deadly skirmishes have shattered a fragile ceasefire agreement along the disputed frontier between Southeast Asian neighbours...
The United Nations Security Council has issued warnings about the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, citing a sharp surge in civilian c...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday he was prepared to hold elections within three months if the U.S. and Kyiv's other allies coul...
Heavy artillery fire and deadly skirmishes have shattered a fragile ceasefire agreement along the disputed frontier between Southeast Asian neighbours Thailand and Cambodia, forcing massive evacuations of people to safety and drawing urgent calls for de-escalation from the international community.
The United Nations Security Council has issued warnings about the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, citing a sharp surge in civilian casualties amidst Russia's intensified aerial attacks, marking the deadliest period of the war in more than a year.
Australia on Wednesday became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access to platforms including TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube and Meta's Instagram and Facebook.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 10th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Authorities in Japan lifted all tsunami warnings on Tuesday following a strong 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck off the northeastern coast late on Monday, injuring at least 30 people and forcing around 90,000 residents to evacuate their homes.
Scores of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo Tuesday (9 December) to protest against the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
Pressure is mounting between Venezuela and the United States as both nations emphasise military preparedness and strategic positioning.
Tehran has protested to Washington because of the travel ban on its football team delegation as well as Iranian fans who would like to travel to the United States for the upcoming World Cup matches in 2026.
Paramount Skydance (PSKY.O) has launched a $108.4 billion hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O). The escalation follows a high-stakes battle that had appeared to end last week when Netflix secured a $72 billion deal for the studio giant’s assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 10th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The world’s leading minds and voices will be honoured on Wednesday, 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, as Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm and Oslo.
Heavy artillery fire and deadly skirmishes have shattered a fragile ceasefire agreement along the disputed frontier between Southeast Asian neighbours Thailand and Cambodia, forcing massive evacuations of people to safety and drawing urgent calls for de-escalation from the international community.
The United Nations Security Council has issued warnings about the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, citing a sharp surge in civilian casualties amidst Russia's intensified aerial attacks, marking the deadliest period of the war in more than a year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday he was prepared to hold elections within three months if the U.S. and Kyiv's other allies could ensure the security of the vote.
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