China Unveils Song Li as Candidate for WHO Director-General Position

China has nominated senior health official Dr Song Li as its candidate for the position of Director-General of the World Health Organization, setting the stage for a closely watched international contest over the future leadership of the global health agency.

The nomination was announced on Thursday, October 8, with Beijing putting forward Song, a public health expert whose career has focused heavily on maternal and child health, health policy and international cooperation.

If successful, Song would become the second Chinese national to lead the WHO, following Margaret Chan, who served as the organisation’s Director-General from 2007 to 2017. The nomination therefore carries significance not only for Song’s professional career but also for China’s growing engagement with international health institutions.

Song has more than 20 years of experience in maternal and child health policy and has held senior responsibilities within China’s National Health Commission. The World Health Organization previously identified her as Deputy Director-General of China’s Department of Women and Children’s Health.

Her professional background includes work on policies and programmes covering maternal healthcare, child health, reproductive health and the strengthening of China’s health system. According to her WHO curriculum vitae, she was involved in major national programmes including cervical and breast cancer screening, hospital-based childbirth for rural women and efforts to prevent the transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B from mothers to their children.

Song has also been involved in China’s response to major public health emergencies. Reuters reported that she contributed to the country’s response to outbreaks including SARS, bird flu and COVID-19, while also playing a role in the development of national pandemic-response standards.

Her nomination comes at a particularly important moment for the WHO. The organisation continues to face major questions over global health financing, pandemic preparedness, international cooperation and the relationship between national governments and multilateral health institutions.

The next WHO Director-General will inherit an organisation operating in a complicated global environment, with countries facing different priorities over pandemic preparedness, vaccine access, health financing, disease surveillance and emergency response.

China’s decision to nominate Song has therefore attracted attention beyond her medical and public health credentials.

Some analysts see Beijing’s move as part of a wider effort to increase China’s influence within international institutions. Reuters reported that the nomination comes at a time when the United States has reduced its involvement in several UN-related organisations, including the WHO, creating what some observers describe as greater room for Beijing to expand its diplomatic and institutional influence.

China, however, has presented the nomination primarily as part of its commitment to multilateralism and international health cooperation. Its Foreign Ministry said Song’s nomination demonstrates China’s support for building a global health community and strengthening the WHO’s role in improving health outcomes around the world.

The contest is still at an early stage, and Song’s nomination does not mean that she has been selected to head the organisation.

Under the WHO’s established election process, member states nominate candidates before the Executive Board considers the field. The board can eventually shortlist and nominate candidates for consideration by the World Health Assembly, which makes the final appointment. The WHO’s published timetable states that candidates were required to submit their candidatures by September 24, 2026, with the announcement of candidates expected from October 29. A first candidates’ forum is scheduled for November 18, followed by further consideration by the Executive Board in January 2027.

The process is expected to attract significant international attention because the Director-General serves as the WHO’s chief technical and administrative officer and oversees the organisation’s international health work.

Song is not the only person connected to China who has previously appeared in WHO leadership contests. In 2023, she was nominated by China for the position of WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. She competed against candidates from the Philippines, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vietnam, although Tonga’s Saia Ma’u Piukala ultimately won that regional election.

Her previous campaign nevertheless gave her experience in international health diplomacy and the WHO’s electoral processes. She participated in a public candidates’ forum in which nominees presented their experience and vision before member states.

That background could become relevant as countries assess the candidates competing for the organisation’s top position.

Other countries have already put forward candidates for the WHO leadership race, including Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Qatar, Botswana, Indonesia and Spain, according to Reuters. The final list of candidates is expected to become clearer as the WHO completes the formal nomination process.

For China, securing the WHO leadership would represent an important diplomatic development. Beijing has increasingly sought a greater role in international institutions and global health discussions, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed both the importance and the political sensitivity of international cooperation during health emergencies.

The WHO itself remains an essential institution in coordinating international responses to infectious diseases, health emergencies and other global health challenges. Its leadership can influence the organisation’s priorities, relationships with member states and approach to future pandemics.The question of trust will therefore be central to the coming contest.

The WHO’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic remains politically sensitive, with the organisation’s relationship with China having faced criticism in some quarters. Supporters of greater Chinese participation in global health institutions, however, argue that China’s experience in public health, its large health system and its growing contribution to international health programmes make its involvement important.

Song’s professional background means that the debate around her candidacy is likely to focus on both her technical qualifications and the wider geopolitical environment surrounding the WHO.

Her experience in maternal and child health could also shape her profile. Maternal mortality, newborn health, reproductive health and access to essential healthcare remain major concerns across developing countries, particularly in Africa and parts of Asia.

At the same time, the next WHO leadership will have to deal with issues that go far beyond maternal healthcare. Pandemic preparedness, antimicrobial resistance, vaccine distribution, health emergencies, climate-related health risks and the financing of global health programmes are all expected to remain major challenges.

The WHO election will therefore be watched closely by governments, public health experts, humanitarian organisations and international development partners.

For now, Song Li’s nomination represents China’s entry into the race rather than the conclusion of it. The coming months will determine which candidates survive the selection process and ultimately make it before the World Health Assembly.

If Song emerges as the successful candidate, her appointment would mark another major moment in China’s growing participation in global health diplomacy. If another candidate is selected, her nomination will nevertheless have placed China’s priorities and influence within the WHO leadership debate firmly on the international agenda.

The formal contest is now beginning, and attention will turn to the candidates’ experience, policy priorities and visions for the future of the World Health Organization.