More than 120 countries on the UN payments list in 2024 will pay on time. Only the global economic powerhouse, the United States, is "absence", it owes billions of dollars in membership fees, but elsewhere is wasting money.。
We are also a big country, with China paying 3.2 billion yuan and Russia paying 350 million yuan. Why does the United States, which should pay the most, insist on reneging on its debt?
Where did the U.S. spend money when the United Nations shortened rescue and shut down office facilities due to a lack of money?
China – the global book of “exemplary living”
In 2000, China paid only 1% of the UN contributions, out of 10 in all member states.
At that time, the total amount of China's economy has not yet risen, but the position of "responsible big countries" has been cleared, and the subscription fee has never been delayed, and this insistence has gradually emerged over more than twenty years.
The United Nations scale of contributions is adjusted every three years. Following the economic strength of various countries, China's proportion has jumped all the way.
It rose to 3.189% in 2010, exceeded 5% in 2013, stood at 7.921% in 2016, and directly rose to 15.254% in 2023.
In 2024, this amount was estimated at $4.46 billion, reduced to RMB 3.2 billion, and paid out in full, becoming the second congress fee payer.
Looking at the actual effects, it is clear that China does not only deliver on time, but also often pay in advance.
In 2019, the year's membership fee was paid, and the UN Secretary-General's spokesman specifically said "Thank you" in Chinese at the press conference, publicly calling China the "most reliable partner".
When the epidemic was raging in 2020, China paid its annual membership dues in April, and the United Nations once again expressed its special thanks.
This is behind real diplomatic gains, as the only developing country in the Pentagon, China's voice in climate negotiations and global poverty reduction issues is becoming more and more tough, and many rules can be heard.
African countries have the most direct feelings about this, saying that "China pays not just money, but respect." This recognition is not groundless.
What's more important is China's additional investment. While paying its membership dues in 2024, it also donated US $120 million to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This money is directly used to help developing countries increase food production, which has benefited millions of farmers.
An additional $50 million was put into the emergency reserve fund, in voluntary donations known as the "Global VIP Pass."
Now China’s share of contributions is 15 times that of 2000, but no one thinks it’s a burden.
Because in the United Nations agenda, the global development initiative and poverty reduction cooperation are all in line with China's development direction, and behind the $3.2 billion subscription, it is a real place to participate in global governance.
Russia-the dignity ledger of the "tough guy"
Compared with China's membership fee of 3.2 billion, Russia's 350 million seems inconspicuous, but behind this string of figures lies the hardest dignity of a big country.
The proportion of Russia's United Nations membership dues in 2024 is 1.866%, corresponding to 56 million US dollars, which is exactly 350 million when converted into RMB. Under the background of comprehensive Western sanctions, every penny of this money is not easy to come by.
Russia’s economic pressure has long been a secret, after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, military spending has surged, the West has frozen its overseas assets, foreign exchange reserves continue to shrink, and even daily international trade settlements have to bypass the dollar system.
In terms of the total economy, Russia's gross national income accounts for a small proportion of the world, and the share of contributions can not naturally compare with the US, but this is the money, it has never been as indebted as the United States.
As soon as the payment period arrived in January 2025, Russia completed the payment of regular membership dues, which is more active than countries with more stable economic conditions such as Canada and Australia.
Some people will ask, it's all so difficult, why hold on? You can understand by looking at Russia's actions in the United Nations. This money is a ticket for the right to speak.
In 2023, the United Nations announced $3.9 billion in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and Russia immediately blasted the pot.
Foreign Minister Lavrov made a direct public statement, condemning this practice as a complete departure from the principle of neutrality. He also said that he would re-evaluate the payment of dues and did not even rule out adjusting the scale of donations.
This sounds tough, but it didn't really stop paying dues. This "hard-top but disciplined" operation is very Russian.
To know in the UN rules, as long as the total amount to be paid for no more than two years, you will not lose the right to vote, many countries have drilled this void.
However, except for a late payment due to the epidemic in 2020, Russia has never made an exception since it was quickly made up.
Even when the first massive Western sanctions were launched in 2014, its contributions were never cut, and it would even add millions of dollars to Syria’s rescue program subsidies in exchange for actual recognition.
But variables do exist. The West has recently been discussing further cutting off Russia's international payment channels.
If the flow of foreign exchange is completely restricted, Russia may be forced to engage in "technical arrears" and get stuck on the red line of not losing voting rights.
But in the short term, this situation will most likely not happen.
The status of a permanent member of the Security Council is far more important than this fee, and Russia is more aware than anyone else that once the payment is populated, it will be passive in the use of the Security Council’s veto right, in the international game of issues.
Therefore, no matter how tight its finances are, Russia has to grit its teeth and bear it.
The United States-the hegemonic ledger of the "Lao Lai"
After talking about China's 3.2 billion and Russia's 3.5 billion, then look at the US subscription bill, the difference is big enough to make a joke.
As the core promoter of the United Nations when it was founded, the United States was once a proper "gold owner father".
When it first started in 1946, it directly bore 40% of the membership dues. With this money, the United Nations was regarded by the outside world as the "back garden" of the United States for a long time. Allies followed its pace and the issues were also tilted towards its interests.
But feng shui has turned. By 2024, the U.S. membership fee ratio has dropped to 22%, and theoretically it should pay 680 million US dollars.
But the actual situation is that its cumulative arrears have soared to 3.3 billion yuan, accounting for more than half of the total arrears of the United Nations.
Ironically, the United Nations money is not returned while it is well for Ukraine.
In 2023, the United Nations granted Ukraine 3.9 billion in humanitarian aid, and the United States was one of the main drivers, turning its head to the poor on its own payments.
It was even exposed to secretly sending money to the Taiwan authorities. This double standard was not acceptable to many American allies.
The US debt fee has never been without money, but intentionally use the debt code as the pressure, agreed to pay points, not agreed to drag, this operation has been played for decades, has long become a practice.
Not to mention that in 1995, the United States was directly indebted to $12.5 billion because the UN’s attitude on the issue of Pakistan did not follow its intention.
Let the United Nations hurry, until subsequent compromise on other issues, to slowly supplement.
Trump’s 2019 rule was more exaggerated, directly accusing the UN of being “a useless chat club,” owed $10.9 billion that year, and even the salaries of UN employees were barely affected.
The most amazing thing is that the United States also relies on domestic laws to protect itself. The Cassbaum Amendment introduced in 1986 clearly restricts funding to the United Nations, and is accurately stuck on the red line of "no loss of voting rights."
In the UN rules, as long as the total amount to be paid for no more than two years, the United States can vote, and the United States is stepping on this line, neither liability nor continued pressure.
But this hegemonic operation has long since begun to counteract.
The United Nations is now in trouble because of the United States’ deficits: Peacekeepers in some parts of Africa have broken food and can only rely on the local government for temporary relief; the rescue food for African refugees is also unavailable, and many rescue points are about to stop.。
But the United States not only did not think about it, but also cut 12% of the United Nations-related funding, throwing out the saying that "the United Nations is spending money," this saying, whoever hears it seems absurd.
Global dissatisfaction with the United States has long been put on the table. The Group of 77 directly denounced the United States for "using multilateral institutions as cash machines, using them whenever they want, and dumping them whenever they want."
The European Union even directly proposed to link the payment of dues with international financing, which means that if you don't pay back the money you owe to the United Nations, you won't want to be successful in other international cooperation projects in the future.
What everyone is most concerned about now is how long the "Lao Lai" in the United States can last?
In the short term, it relies on 22% subscription share, and the right to speak in the United Nations is still, after all, many important issues need to be held, and the U.S. veto right is still a fraction.
But it is undeniable that credit bankruptcy has made its influence weaker and weaker. In the multilateralism camp, many countries have begun to keep a distance from the United States, and are more willing to cooperate with countries such as China and Russia that pay fees on time and follow rules.
In the long run, if China and the BRICS countries push for a “payment credit system”, linking payments to the United Nations topical dominance and position distribution, the United States may be forced to converge and re-assume responsibility.
But those who understand the style of American behavior are clear that it is likely to continue to play the "trick" trick, as long as it can be repressed by hegemony, it will not change easily.
After all, in its eyes, the so-called rules have always been used to restrain others, not itself.
It's just that the United States may not realize that it is no longer the only one who has the final say in the world. The 3.3 billion yuan arrears have dragged down not only the operation of the United Nations, but also its own credibility in the international community.
When credit is completely exhausted, it may not be so easy to control the right to speak with money and hegemony.