Beijing backs senior health official to succeed Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as competition intensifies for the World Health Organization’s top post.
China has officially nominated senior public health official Song Li as its candidate to lead the World Health Organization (WHO), marking another effort by Beijing to strengthen its influence within major international institutions.
The announcement was made Thursday, October 8, by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, who said the nomination reflects China’s commitment to international health cooperation, multilateralism and the WHO’s global mission.
The World Health Assembly is scheduled to elect the organization’s next director-general in May 2027. The successful candidate will replace current WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is completing his second five-year term and is ineligible to seek another term under the organization’s rules.
Song, an experienced public health official, has been involved in managing major health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak.
According to her official biography, her professional expertise includes maternal and child healthcare policy, international public health cooperation and responses to global health emergencies.
China’s Foreign Ministry described her candidacy as an expression of Beijing’s willingness to collaborate with other countries in strengthening international healthcare systems and addressing shared health challenges.
The nomination comes as China continues seeking greater representation in United Nations agencies and other international organizations.
Beijing’s efforts to expand its institutional presence have coincided with the United States’ withdrawal from numerous international and UN-affiliated bodies under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Chinese nationals have previously headed as many as four UN organizations simultaneously. Currently, Qu Dongyu, director-general of the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization, is the only Chinese national leading one of these agencies.
Song will face competition from several prominent international health officials who have also been nominated for the WHO’s top leadership position.
The announced candidates include Qatar’s Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al-Kuwari, Saudi Arabia’s Dr. Hanan Balkhy, Belgium’s Dr. Hans Kluge, Spain’s Dr. María Neira, Indonesia’s Budi Gunadi Sadikin and Dr. Gevorg Tamamyan, representing Botswana.
The deadline for countries to submit nominations was September 24, although governments are permitted to announce their candidates publicly after submitting the necessary documentation.
The WHO’s executive board is expected to review the nominations during its meetings in late January and early February 2027.
The board will narrow the field to three finalists, whose candidacies will then be presented to member states for consideration at the World Health Assembly in May.
The election will determine who leads the international health agency during a period of significant challenges, including infectious disease preparedness, global health inequalities, healthcare financing and international cooperation.
China’s decision to nominate Song underscores its ambitions to play a more prominent role in shaping international public health policy and the future direction of the WHO.
The next director-general will inherit responsibility for coordinating global responses to emerging health threats while navigating geopolitical tensions and differing priorities among the organization’s member countries.
