U.S.'s UNESCO Re-entry: a farce made by itself? "International organizations are not playgrounds for spoiled kids." Victor Gao, Chair Professor of Soochow University, dissects the implications of the move, the role of international organizations, and the real motives behind this decision.

Victor Gao: Other things being equal, the United States of America should be a member of UNESCO and many other international organizations. So, for the United States to rejoin UNESCO is something that we need to ask why. Why is the United States rejoining. Then the other question we need to ask is why it was the fact that the United States decided to withdraw from UNESCO. I think this whole farce is created by the United States itself. If there is a vacuum, as Antony Blinken was talking about, that vacuum was created by the United States. So, the United States is at full fault for the fact that it withdrew and then wanted to rejoin, etc.

Another point, let me emphasize, is that international organizations, including UNESCO, are not a playground for kids, spoiled kids in particular. Therefore, I think this whole farce revealed the fact the United States is not a mature country and is not exercising leadership or statesmanship. It's really, very capricious. That's the only word I can think of. And I think China's opposition is firmly based on the fact that if the United States wants to become a member, pay all the overdue, for example, all the arrears.

And now, the United States wants to pay all the overdue in arrears over many years, for example, at the time when the United States still runs a higher overdue in arrears for the membership fees for the United Nations. This is not acceptable. And this does not bode well for the United States as a member of UNESCO because the U.S. joining UNESCO is most likely turning UNESCO into a battleground. Not for science and technology and many other things that mankind are very much interested in, but into an ideological geopolitical battleground. At the time when the United States is not a fully paid-up member of UNESCO. This is turning the United States into a farce.