On Thursday, the United States delegation sent a letter to the President of the United Nations opposing the adoption of the China Country Programme Document for 2026-2030 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and called for a vote.
According to the China Country Programme Document (2026-2030) published by UNDP, it aims to align with China’s Fifteenth Five-Year Plan, promote the realization of common prosperity in China, invest in and promote innovative demonstration zones to address poverty, advance low-carbon and green transformation, and strengthen South-South cooperation.
These goals are all important areas and directions for the Chinese Communist Party’s overseas ideological promotion. If approved, it would mean that UNDP will provide funding, technology, personnel, and other forms of assistance.
Jonathan Shrier, a representative of the United States, said in a statement, “China is the world’s second-largest economy. A country that has the financial capacity to carry out its space program and construct aircraft carriers should fund its own development. Every dollar spent by UNDP in China means one less dollar relied upon by countries in need of that funding.”
“Allowing China to utilize UNDP resources poses the risk of using multilateralism as a cover to subsidize a country’s geopolitical agenda. The United Nations was established to assist the vulnerable, not foot the bill for the geopolitical ambitions of a major power.”
“This is why we are requesting a vote on this country programme document and voting against it. We know that China is closely monitoring every vote, and many countries are afraid to take a stand on this issue for fear of severe retaliation. We stand fearlessly, and we state unequivocally: scarce resources should not be diverted to member countries capable of managing their own development priorities.”
The U.S. representative urged the UNDP Executive Board to ensure the fair allocation of UNDP resources based on reasonable standards, not on political self-identification. At the same time, the United States strongly opposes the promotion by the United Nations of any member country’s diplomatic or development policies, including the Global Development Initiative.
“The United States will not support initiatives that do not align with U.S. key priorities,” the U.S. representative said. “As a member of the Executive Board, the United States takes seriously its oversight responsibilities for the operation of the institution and the allocation of its resources, including monitoring the 2026-2030 UNDP China Country Programme Document.”