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Trump Threatens Permanent Cut to WHO Funding

VOA News

   U.S. President Donald Trump says his cuts to World Health Organization
   funding will go from temporary to permanent if the agency "does not
   commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days."

   In a letter to WHO Director-GeneralTedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Trump
   offered a list of criticisms that he says support his complaints that
   the agency has shown an "alarming lack of independence from the
   People's Republic of China" during the coronavirus pandemic.

   "It is clear the repeated missteps by you and your organization in
   responding to the pandemic have been extremely costly for the world.
   The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it
   canactually demonstrateindependence from China," Trump wrote.

   Among his specific criticisms, Trump said the WHO made repeated claims
   about the virus that were "grosslyinaccurateor misleading," that the
   agency did not properly pressure China for timely admission of
   international experts, and that it praised China's internal travel
   restrictions while being against Trump's decision to ban entry to
   travelers from China.

   Tedros said last month of Trump's move to suspend WHO funding, "We
   regret the decision."

   On Monday, he defended the WHO's coronavirus response in an address to
   member states at the World Health Assembly.

   "WHO sounded the alarm early, and we sounded it often.We notified
   countries, issued guidance for health workers within 10 days, and
   declared a global health emergency -- our highest level of alert -- on
   the 30th of January. At the time, there were less than 100 cases and no
   deaths outside China," Tedros said.

   Trump repeatedly praised China in the early months of the outbreak,
   writing in late January that the United States "greatly appreciates
   their efforts and transparency." In late March he tweeted: "China has
   been through much & has developed a strong understanding of the Virus.
   We are working closely together. Much respect!"

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