Following the United States’ announcement to withdraw from UNESCO, China has strongly criticised the decision, labelling it “irresponsible.”
During a press briefing on Wednesday, July 23, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed Beijing’s regret over the Trump administration’s decision to leave the UN cultural and education agency.
“This is not the kind of action expected from a responsible major country,” Guo told reporters, adding that China has consistently “firmly supported the work of UNESCO.”
The U.S. State Department had announced on Tuesday, July 22, that the government would be pulling out of UNESCO, stating that continued participation was no longer in the country’s national interest. The statement argued that the agency’s policies and alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals conflicted with the U.S. administration’s “America First” foreign policy.
The statement also criticised UNESCO’s earlier decision to admit Palestine as a member state, calling it “problematic” and inconsistent with U.S. foreign policy objectives.
According to the announcement, the U.S. withdrawal will officially take effect on December 31, 2026, as outlined in Article II(6) of the UNESCO Constitution. Until then, the U.S. will remain a full member of the agency.
This move follows President Donald Trump’s earlier decision to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization—one of the first executive actions of his second term.
In response, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay expressed deep regret over the U.S. withdrawal. “We deeply regret President Donald Trump’s decision to once again withdraw the United States of America from UNESCO,” she said. Azoulay noted that although the decision runs counter to the principles of multilateralism, the agency was prepared for such an outcome.
UNESCO added that financial reforms since 2018 have reduced the organisation’s dependence on U.S. funding. While the U.S. once contributed up to 40% of the budget for some UN agencies, it now accounts for just 8% of UNESCO’s total funding.
“The organisation’s overall budget has steadily increased thanks to the continued support of numerous member states and private donors,” UNESCO stated, noting that voluntary contributions have doubled since 2018.
