Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Member Nations Rally Around WHO, Chide Trump For Escalating Threats Against China, Organization
The New York Times: W.H.O. Members Reject Trump’s Demands But Agree To Study Its Virus Response
President Trump’s angry demands for punitive action against the World Health Organization were rebuffed on Tuesday by the organization’s other member nations, which decided instead to conduct an “impartial, independent” examination of the W.H.O.’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. In a four-page letter late Monday, Mr. Trump had threatened to permanently cut off United States funding of the W.H.O. unless it committed to “major, substantive improvements” within 30 days. It was a major escalation of his repeated attempts to blame the W.H.O. and China for the spread of the virus and deflect responsibility for his handling of a worldwide public health crisis that has killed more than 90,000 people in the United States. (Shear and Jacobs, 5/19)
Politico: WHO Summit Devolves Into U.S.-China Proxy Battle
The United States and China hijacked the annual meeting of the World Health Assembly, the World Health Organization’s governing body, part of an ongoing diplomatic battle over Covid-19 that has left a global leadership vacuum. Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the summit in Geneva with an announcement of $2 billion in extra funding for the pandemic response. Less than 24 hours later, President Donald Trump countered in a letter to the World Health Organization, giving it 30 days to “commit to major substantive improvements” and threatening to permanently cease U.S. funding to the U.N. public health agency if it fails to do so. (Heath, 5/19)
Reuters: WHO Chief Says He Will Keep Leading Virus Response After Trump Threat
The World Health Organization’s head said on Tuesday he would keep leading the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to cut off funding and quit the body. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus defended the agency’s role after the United States again withheld full support for a resolution on the pandemic. “We want accountability more than anyone,” Tedros told a virtual meeting of the WHO’S 194 member states. “We will continue providing strategic leadership to coordinate the global response.” (Nebehay and Farge, 5/19)
The Wall Street Journal: U.S.-China Tensions Rise As Trump Accuses WHO Of Pro-China Bias
President Trump’s threat to cut off funding to the World Health Organization and revoke U.S. membership over the group’s handling of the coronavirus heightened tensions with China and sparked a new round of accusations between the two countries. In a four-page letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday, Mr. Trump said the organization had shown an “alarming lack of independence” from Beijing and failed to adequately respond as Chinese government officials sought to cover up the emerging health threat. (Lubold and Hinshaw, 5/19)
The Washington Post Fact Checker: Fact-Checking Trump’s Letter Blasting The World Health Organization
In previous administrations, a letter to an international organization signed by the U.S. president generally would have been carefully vetted and fact-checked. But President Trump’s May 18 letter to World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus contains a number of false or misleading statements in it. Here’s a sampling, as well as a guide to some of his claims. (Kessler, 5/20)
ABC News: Trump Escalates Fight Against World Health Organization, Threatens To Permanently Cut US Funds
Hours before those attacks, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed WHO's World Health Assembly and announced $2 billion to address the coronavirus pandemic that started in his country. "This is giving an enormous political prize to China because China has long been looking for a chance to shine on the global stage," Lawrence Gostin, director of the WHO Collaborating Center on Health and Human Rights at Georgetown University, told The Associated Press. (Finnegan, 5/19)
Politico: Anti-China Sentiment Is On The Rise
Anti-China sentiment is rising in the United States, according to a new poll that reflects the foreign country’s role as the point of origin of the coronavirus and the millions of dollars in negative ads spent by President Donald Trump, former Vice President Joe Biden and their allies as each paints the other as weak on the U.S.-China relationship. Since January, the percentage of U.S. voters who say China is an “enemy” has risen 11 percentage points to 31 percent, while the percentage of voters who say China is either an ally or friend has fallen 9 points to a combined 23 percent, a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll shows. (Caputo, 5/20)
ABC News: Asian Americans Face Coronavirus 'Double Whammy': Skyrocketing Unemployment And Discrimination
Gary Lin, a Chinese-American business owner in New York City, has been working through the coronavirus crisis to keep his ramen restaurant afloat. He is worried about getting sick and bringing the virus to his family, but has remained partially open for takeout services as rent and bills pile up. On top of the financial struggles, Lin said he and his employees have also been facing harassment due to their Asian background and that business was already down as early as February. (Thorbecke and Zaru, 5/20)
