The United Nations is on the verge of "bankruptcy", the United States owes $1 billion, and Guterres urgently asks for help: China's proposal is the only turning point?
The United Nations, an international organization that symbolizes global peace and cooperation, is now facing an unprecedented crisis. On October 17th, UN Secretary-General Guterres issued a warning when submitting the 2026 budget plan to the Fifth Committee of the UN General Assembly: If Member States continue to default on their contributions, the UN may go bankrupt. As of the end of September 2025, the United Nations had only received 66.2% of its annual assessments, and more than one-third of Member States had failed to pay their contributions, including the United States, the largest arrears. As the largest contributor to the United Nations, the United States bears about 22% of its dues, but it has repeatedly defaulted in recent years, and the accumulated arrears have exceeded $1 billion. During the Trump administration, the United States had a cold attitude towards the United Nations and even threatened to reduce funding. Despite the Biden administration's attempts to repair relations with the United Nations, the domestic fiscal crisis and frequent government shutdowns in the United States have left the payment issue unresolved.
The bankruptcy of the United Nations could have serious consequences. First of all, peacekeeping operations will be affected, leading to the deterioration of the security situation in conflict areas. At present, the United Nations has deployed tens of thousands of peacekeepers all over the world, distributed in war-torn areas such as South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. If the capital chain is broken, these areas may fall back into violent conflicts. In addition, various humanitarian assistance programs of the United Nations may be interrupted, and the basic survival of millions of people will be threatened. What's more, the bankruptcy of the United Nations may lead to the international community entering the "law of the jungle", dominated by powerful countries, small and weak countries losing their voice channels, and the global situation will become more turbulent.
China has always been a firm supporter of the United Nations as the second UN General Assembly contributor. China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Foucault, made three proposals at the 80th anniversary of the United Nations Reform Initiative: to optimize the allocation mechanism and re-adjust the ratio according to the level of economic development of countries; to strengthen budgetary transparency to ensure the efficient and open use of funds; and to promote multilateral cooperation to mitigate the financial pressure through the establishment of a special UN fund.
In addition to proposing reforms, the United Nations can also take emergency measures. Cuts and open source recessions are short-term solutions, such as reducing redundancy in the administrative sector and improving resource allocation efficiency. However, this approach is not suitable for the United Nations’ global governance goals. Urging member states to pay delayed contributions is key to resolving the crisis. The United Nations can put pressure on debtors, especially large nations such as the United States, through diplomatic means or joint action. In addition, the international community can consider establishing a joint fund jointly funded by countries willing to assume more responsibility as a reserve source of funding for the United Nations.
The bankruptcy crisis of the United Nations is not only a funding issue, but also a crisis of the global order. If the United Nations cannot maintain its operations, global multilateralism will face challenges and the international community may fall into the whirlpool of power politics. The reform proposals and "global development initiatives" put forward by China provide new possibilities for the future of the United Nations. By promoting multilateral cooperation, China is expected to become a key promoter of United Nations reform.
The survival of the United Nations concerns the future of global peace and cooperation. Solving this crisis requires the joint efforts of the international community. As Guterres said, "We need to stand together in order to meet global challenges." Countries must fulfill their responsibilities to ensure the survival of the United Nations. Only in this way can the cornerstones of global peace and cooperation be secured.