A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday thanked China for its latest payment to the United Nations, saying the funds "come in handy."

Stephane Dujarric said at a regular press briefing that China's latest payment had brought its contributions to the UN regular budget fully up to date.

Noting that China is the second-largest contributor to the UN regular budget, the spokesperson said, "Now having the full amount is extremely helpful to the ongoing liquidity crisis."

Dujarric added that China's payment brought the number of fully paid-up member states to 133.

During the briefing, Dujarric was also asked about the status of the United States' payment to the regular budget. "It is in the pipeline. We're monitoring its position in the pipeline," he said.

The Trump administration had initiated procedures to pay $725 million to the United Nations to settle part of the US arrears. The payment was expected to be completed before Trump traveled to New York in September to attend the UN General Assembly and deliver a speech. However, the $725 million represents less than 20% of the total amount owed by the United States.

The United Nations said in May that the US owed more than $4 billion in outstanding payments. The US government, however, has put the total amount of its arrears at a lower figure.

Under the UN Charter, a member state may lose its voting rights in the General Assembly if its arrears equal or exceed the amount of contributions due from it over the preceding two full years.

The United States is the largest contributor to the UN budget. The Trump administration had previously refused to pay some mandatory assessments for the UN regular budget and peacekeeping operations, cut voluntary funding to several UN agencies, and withdrawn from multiple international organizations.