AP: China’s diplomats show teeth in defending virus response
“From Asia to Africa, London to Berlin, Chinese envoys have set off diplomatic firestorms with a combative defense whenever their country is accused of not acting quickly enough to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. They belong to a new generation of ‘Wolf Warrior’ diplomats, named after patriotic blockbuster films starring a muscle-bound Chinese commando killing American bad guys in Africa and Southeast Asia with his bare hands…” (Kang et al., 4/24).

The Hill: Trump escalates WHO fight by redirecting funds to other groups
“The U.S. is starting to shift its World Health Organization (WHO) contributions to other health-focused groups, marking an escalation in President Trump’s fight with the WHO. The move is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to punish the WHO after suspending payments to the global health body pending a ‘review’ of its response to the coronavirus pandemic…” (Kelly, 4/23).

The Hill: House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats call on Trump to resume WHO funding
“Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee Thursday called on President Trump to resume funding for the World Health Organization (WHO), calling his policy misguided and a distraction from the administration’s own response. In a letter sent to Trump, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), and 25 Democratic colleagues criticized the president’s funding freeze and ending support in the middle of a crisis…” (Kelly, 4/23).

Additional coverage of global health diplomacy among the WHO, China, and the U.S. is available from Devex, Reuters, Sydney Morning Herald, USA TODAY, and Washington Post.