NEW YORK/GENEVA -- The United States and Japan, among other countries, are increasingly concerned about top posts of several specialized bodies of the United Nations being filled by Chinese officials, who, some argue, tend to treat neutrality lightly and prioritize China's national interests.
Four out of 15 U.N. specialized agencies are headed by Chinese nationals.
A Chinese official has emerged as a strong candidate to become the next director general of the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), with the election set to be held next month.
Eyeing IP
The WIPO was established in 1970 to protect intellectual property rights such as patents and trademarks. It also provides a mechanism to support the resolution of disputes from a neutral standpoint between countries over contract procedures and technology transactions.
The WIPO's director general will be elected by a vote of 83 countries on March 4-5 for a tenure of six years. Although China, Singapore, Kazakhstan, Ghana, Colombia and Peru have so far fielded candidates for the post, Wang Binying of China, who has been deputy director general since 2009, is considered to be a strong candidate.
There are growing concerns over the eligibility of her candidacy in the United States. The Republican and Democratic parties have been critical of the Chinese government's involvement in violations of intellectual property rights via industrial espionage among other means. In December, lawmakers from both parties jointly submitted a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump urging him to stop Wang from taking office.
The Washington Post's Josh Rogin warned that if Wang wins the upcoming election, information on intellectual property from around the world could flow to the Chinese government, writing in his column that "This is akin to choosing a bank robber to be president of the bank."
The Japanese government had planned to field a former Patent Office official but reversed the decision this month.
"We concluded that it would be better for Japan, the United States and Europe, among other countries, to cooperate in jointly backing a candidate who can win," a source familiar with the matter said.
The remarks were seemingly made with a Singaporean candidate in mind. The secret maneuvering behind the scenes is likely to continue until the last minute.
Prioritizing national interests
Japan, the United States and other countries are concerned about the possibility of Wang winning the election because the policies of several U.N. bodies headed by Chinese nationals have shifted in alignment with Beijing.
Taiwan was not invited to the September 2016 general meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), unlike the previous gathering held three years earlier. The ICAO has been headed since 2015 by Liu Fang, who formerly served at the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China. The move clearly reflects Beijing's intention to further isolate Taiwan.
At the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which oversees cooperation among countries in the telecommunications field, Secretary General Zhao Houlin has stated the need to strengthen cooperation between the ITU and Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, a scheme to create a mega economic zone led by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Xi administration is trying to unilaterally change the world order led by the United States under the guise of multilateralism. Winning top posts of U.N. bodies is also part of the strategy. Under such circumstances, the Trump administration's "America First" policy will serve as a tailwind for China.
Brett Schaefer, a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation, pointed out that what is clear from the ICAO and ITU is that Chinese officials in senior positions promote China's national interests.
The recent outbreak of the new coronavirus has exposed China's influence over U.N. organizations.
World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus provoked controversy with his effusive praise for China's handling of the situation when the infection was spreading. Some argue that these remarks may have been influenced by the fact that Tedros served as a foreign minister of Ethiopia, a country that depends on Beijing for economic assistance.
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