How increasing financial contributions to the United Nations have enabled Beijing to assert significant influence over global norms and standards while maintaining China’s identity as a “developing country.”

By Daniel Wagner, published by The Sunday Guardian

In Brief by Probe International

China’s growing influence in the United Nations (UN) coincides with its rising financial contributions, writes Daniel Wagner. He notes China’s contribution to the U.N. budget has risen from less than 1% in 1994 to second only to the U.S. in 2025 at nearly 20%.

This transformation, he says, has allowed China to position itself as a “developing country” while simultaneously exerting significant power over global norms and standards in critical areas such as digital infrastructure, aviation safety, and industrial technology, which are vital to its economic and security interests.

By leveraging influence—e.g., placing loyal nationals in senior UN posts—Beijing has been able to redefine international rules and steer discussions towards “win-win cooperation,” often creating dependency relationships with developing nations through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative. Wagner observes that although China casts fewer vetoes in the UN Security Council than Russia or the U.S., it frequently aligns with Moscow to protect regimes accused of human rights violations, consistently supporting states that oppose Western-led resolutions on accountability and human rights.

Meanwhile, China’s financial behavior highlights the duality of its strategy, as it promotes its increasing contributions to the UN while also delaying payments for nearly a year, exacerbating the organization’s liquidity crisis. Additionally, its voluntary funding is often directed toward specific initiatives that enhance Chinese influence rather than addressing universal priorities, creating a form of quiet leverage that fosters financial dependency and discourages criticism.

Wagner critiques Washington and its allies for allowing Beijing to gain influence through neglect, as leadership positions in key agencies often go uncontested by Western candidates, and funding cuts have created opportunities for states willing to invest without scrutiny. Beijing capitalizes on this by actively participating, lobbying, and organizing, while others withdraw. If this trend continues, he warns, the UN may evolve into a platform for state narratives rather than a rules-based community.

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Daniel Wagner is managing director of Multilateral Accountability Associates and co-author of The New Multilateralism.