Moolenaar & Waltz Discuss China’s Malign Influence at the UN

Today, Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar discussed China’s malign influence at the United Nations with Michael Waltz, America's Ambassador to the UN. At a House Appropriations Committee field hearing at the U.S. Mission to the UN in New York City, Moolenaar shared details on the Select Committee’s new investigation about how China manipulates the UN to advance its strategic goals.

“Under President Trump’s leadership and your tenure as Ambassador, the United States has begun pushing long-overdue reforms to restore accountability within the UN. I liked especially what I heard about back to basics, focusing on international peace and security,” said Moolenaar. “As you know earlier this week, the Select Committee on China recently released a report highlighting growing ways the People's Republic of China is working to expand its influence throughout the United Nations. The report outlines several ways the CCP has tried to expand its influence across the UN system through financial contributions and placing PRC officials at key roles in the UN. I wondered if you could share how the United States is working with allies and partners to maintain transparency of UN institutions and not allow it to be leveraged by countries like China.”

“We have seen the Chinese very aggressively leverage their funding in terms of positions. Where we're most engaged are some of these other organizations that affect [American] industry. Like I mentioned earlier, the International Maritime Organization, the World Telecommunications Union, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization,” said Waltz in response to Moolenaar. “We are much more, I think, strategically, and assertively inserting qualified Americans into key leadership positions. Where I think we could do more is at the junior level, even at the intern level, where we've seen the PRC pushing their nationals, at scale, and we could do more on our side.”

You can watch Moolenaar and Waltz's discussion here.