Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. Photo: VCG

Chinese Foreign Ministry refutes Western countries' accusations of China for controlling and weaponizing international organizations and promoting an "authoritarian approach to multilateralism," saying China has always opposed bullying, respects diversity and fairness.

China is firmly committed to upholding and practicing genuine multilateralism, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said during a routine press briefing Monday. 

"China's multilateralism is about a win-win cooperation, not a zero-sum game; it's about fairness and justice, not bullying; It's focused on action, not words; and we respect diversity," Wang said.  

Wang's remarks came after US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield recently said that China exerts influences in the UN and "promotes an authoritarian approach to multilateralism." 

The UK parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee made a similar accusation in late July. The committee said China was attempting to seize control of and "weaponize" important international organizations. They also accused China of "bullying" other countries to back its position or its candidates for top positions and using "financial leverage to shift policies away from the cooperation the organizations were created to promote,"  media reported. 

Wang said the claims made by the US and the UK are pure slander.

The international community has its own opinions on who practices hegemony and unilateralism in the international arena, who uses international organizations when it suits them and abandons them when it doesn't, and who uses financial hegemony to suppress other countries. Wang said. 

In recent years, the international community has been expecting China to play a bigger role in international affairs, to see China's plans and to hear China's voice, Wang said. 

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the second largest contributor, China has taken an active part in the work of the UN and other international organizations, Wang said. He added that more and more Chinese are joining the UN and other international organizations, and some have taken important posts in these organizations.  

"Their work has been highly recognized by all parties, but the number of Chinese staff in international organizations does not match China's financial contribution, and there is a big gap between them and the presence of Western countries such as the US and the UK," Wang said.  

"For example, in the United Nations Secretariat, there are 548 staff members who are of Chinese nationality, accounting for 1.5 percent of the total number of staff, only 22 percent of the number of US in the Secretariat and 70 percent of the UK. Among middle and senior staff, only 19 are Chinese, a third of that of the UK and a fifth of that of the US," Wang noted.   

Together with other developing countries, China will continue to take an active part in the work of international organizations and contribute to international cooperation and genuine multilateralism, the spokesperson said.