China Nominates Song Li for WHO Director-General Role

On October 8, 2026, China announced the nomination of Song Li, the head of the Department of Women and Child Health at China’s National Health Commission, for the position of director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO). This nomination follows the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO earlier in the year, a move made by President Donald Trump, who has criticized the organization as being overly influenced by China.

Song Li's candidacy is seen as a step to bolster China's influence within the WHO, particularly as the current director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is set to complete his term in August 2027 and cannot run again due to term limits. Song has a 21-year career focused on women's and children's health, contributing to laws on prenatal diagnosis and assisted reproductive technology.

She will compete against candidates from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Spain, Indonesia, and Botswana. If elected, she would be the second Chinese national to lead the WHO, following Margaret Chan, who served from 2007 to 2017.