The Diplomat: Why China Could Be a Game Changer for Global Health

In recent years, China has begun to take a leadership role in the arenas of trade, foreign policy, and climate change. Global health is next, argues Charlotte Röhren for the Diplomat. In 2014, Beijing provided critical assistance to combat Ebola, “an important milestone in its growing integration in global health governance.” Besides humanitarian reasons, the country stands to benefit by contributing. China is home to more than one-third of the 20 cities where a human pandemic is most likely to begin, and the country has also faced an uptick in avian flu fatalities and antibiotic-resistant superbugs this year. As traditional Western donors like the United States are slashing foreign aid budgets in a turn toward domestic issues, newcomers may have to step up to the plate to avoid further exacerbating existing funding shortfalls in the WHO. —YaleGlobal