Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
China has formally nominated senior health official Song Li as its candidate to become the next Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), putting Beijing into an increasingly important international contest to lead the UN agency from August 2027.
The nomination was confirmed on October 8, 2026, after earlier reports that China was preparing to enter the leadership race. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the nomination demonstrated Beijing’s support for multilateralism and its desire to strengthen international cooperation on global health, according to Reuters.
If elected, Song would succeed the current WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, whose second term ends on August 15, 2027. The next Director-General is scheduled to take office on August 16, 2027.
The nomination places a senior Chinese public health policymaker at the centre of a closely watched contest over the future direction of global health governance.
Who is Song Li?
Song Li is a senior Chinese public health official with extensive experience in maternal and child health.
According to a curriculum vitae submitted by China to the WHO during her previous campaign for the organisation’s Western Pacific regional leadership in 2023, Song holds a PhD in public health from Peking University and a master’s degree in clinical medicine, specialising in gynaecology and obstetrics. She also spent time as a visiting scholar in global health at Harvard University.
Her career has largely focused on women’s and children’s health within China’s National Health Commission. She served in the commission’s women’s health division before becoming Deputy Director-General and later Director-General of the Department of Maternal and Child Health.
Song has also worked with WHO technical bodies. The organisation lists her as a member of its Mother and Newborn Information for Tracking Outcomes and Results (MoNITOR) advisory group and identifies her as a senior official in China’s National Health Commission.
Her professional background therefore combines domestic health administration, maternal and child health policy and experience with international health institutions.
Experience in major health emergencies
Song’s nomination comes with experience from some of the major public health emergencies China has faced over the past two decades.
Reuters reported that she has been involved in China’s responses to SARS, bird flu outbreaks and COVID-19. During the coronavirus pandemic, she was also involved in developing national standards and guidance concerning the prevention and management of COVID-19 among women and children.
That background could become an important part of her campaign as countries consider what experience and leadership qualities are needed to manage future global health emergencies.
The WHO is responsible for coordinating international responses to infectious diseases and other major public health threats, making experience in emergency preparedness and international cooperation particularly relevant to the Director-General’s role.
China’s growing role in global health
Beijing’s decision to nominate Song comes at a significant moment for the WHO and the wider international system.
China has increasingly sought a greater role in multilateral institutions, while the United States has reduced its involvement in several international organisations under President Donald Trump.
The United States withdrew from the WHO in 2026, removing one of the organisation’s largest financial contributors and creating additional pressure on the agency as it attempts to restructure its operations and finances.
China has provided additional support to the WHO, although that assistance does not fully replace the financial contribution previously made by the United States.
Against this background, Song’s nomination is being viewed not simply as a personnel decision but also as part of a broader contest over influence in global health institutions.
A successful Chinese candidate would give Beijing an opportunity to have another national lead the WHO after Margaret Chan, the former Hong Kong Director of Health who served as WHO Director-General from 2007 to 2017.
A contested relationship between China and the WHO
Song’s candidacy is also likely to attract scrutiny because of the complicated relationship between China and the WHO during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Trump administration repeatedly accused the WHO of being too close to Beijing and criticised its handling of the early stages of the pandemic. The WHO has rejected accusations that it was biased in favour of China.
Those disagreements remain part of the political background surrounding the organisation.
For countries preparing to vote for the next Director-General, questions about independence, transparency, scientific credibility and the ability to work effectively with governments across different geopolitical blocs are likely to be important.
China, however, has presented the nomination in terms of international cooperation and multilateralism.
The country’s Foreign Ministry said Song’s nomination was intended to contribute to the construction of a global health community and help the WHO play a stronger role in improving health and wellbeing worldwide.
Song previously sought WHO regional leadership
Song is not new to WHO leadership contests.
In 2023, China proposed her as a candidate for Director of the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office.
The WHO officially listed Song alongside candidates from the Philippines, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vietnam. The regional committee ultimately elected Tonga’s Saia Ma’u Piukala. WHO Director-General Tedros later congratulated Piukala and also acknowledged Song and the other candidates for their campaigns.
Her earlier campaign nevertheless gave her experience in international health diplomacy and the WHO’s electoral processes.
Her current candidacy is considerably more consequential because the Director-General oversees the WHO as a whole rather than one of its regional offices.
How the WHO election will work
The Director-General is the WHO’s chief technical and administrative officer and is responsible for providing leadership on global health issues, overseeing the organisation’s work and representing it internationally.
The current election process began in April 2026, when WHO Member States were invited to submit candidates.
The deadline for nominations was September 24, 2026. According to the WHO’s published timetable, the organisation is expected to announce the candidates and publish the submitted proposals and supporting information on or after October 29, following the conclusion of the relevant regional committee meetings.
The Executive Board will then consider the candidates and nominate up to three people for consideration by the World Health Assembly in 2027. The final appointment will be made by the World Health Assembly through a secret ballot.
The next Director-General is scheduled to be appointed at the Eightieth World Health Assembly in May 2027.
Other candidates are already in the race
Song enters a field that already includes candidates from several parts of the world.
Reuters reported that candidates from Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Qatar, Botswana, Indonesia and Spain have already made their identities public. The full official list is expected to become clearer in November after the remaining procedural stages are completed.
The diversity of the candidates means the election could become a significant test of geographical representation and competing visions for global health governance.
WHO rules allow any Member State to nominate a person who meets the requirements for the position, and candidates do not necessarily have to be nationals of the country nominating them.
Why the nomination matters for Africa
The WHO leadership contest will also matter to African countries.
Africa continues to face major public health challenges involving infectious diseases, maternal and child health, health-system capacity, vaccine access and emergency preparedness.
The continent has also become an increasingly important arena in global health diplomacy, with China, the United States, European countries and other international partners competing for stronger relationships with African governments.
For African countries, the choice of WHO Director-General could affect how the organisation approaches health financing, disease surveillance, vaccine production, pandemic preparedness and partnerships with developing countries.
The leadership question is therefore broader than competition between major powers. It also concerns whether the WHO can effectively respond to the health priorities of countries that often have fewer resources but carry a significant share of the world’s disease burden.
Questions over independence and global influence
Song’s nomination is likely to generate debate over whether the next WHO leadership can maintain independence while working closely with powerful Member States.
That issue is particularly significant because the WHO depends on its Member States for political support and financing while also being expected to provide independent scientific and technical guidance.
China’s growing international influence could make the nomination attractive to countries that favour stronger cooperation with Beijing. At the same time, governments concerned about geopolitical influence over international institutions may scrutinise Song’s record and Beijing’s broader objectives.
Those questions will ultimately be determined through the formal election process rather than by the nomination itself.
What happens next?
The immediate next step is the formal publication of the candidate field by the WHO.
The organisation says candidates are expected to be officially announced after the final regional committee session in early November. A candidates’ forum is scheduled for November, while the Executive Board will shortlist and nominate up to three candidates in January 2027.
The final decision will then be made by the World Health Assembly in May 2027.
For now, Song Li’s nomination marks China’s formal entry into one of the most consequential international leadership contests of the coming year.
The election will determine who leads the WHO at a time when the organisation is dealing with financial pressures, geopolitical divisions, continuing health emergencies and renewed debate over the future of international cooperation.
For China, the nomination offers an opportunity to strengthen its presence in global health governance. For the WHO’s Member States, it presents a choice over the kind of leadership the organisation needs as it prepares for the next generation of global health challenges.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- Reuters — report on China’s confirmation of Song Li as its WHO Director-General nominee.
- World Health Organization — official election process and timetable for the next Director-General.
- World Health Organization — election frequently asked questions and appointment procedure.
- World Health Organization — Song Li’s professional profile and previous 2023 Western Pacific regional candidacy.
- World Health Organization — 2023 Western Pacific regional election results and candidates.
