U.S. withdrawal from UNESCO draws widespread criticism

The U.S. decision to withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has drawn widespread criticism, with foreign ministers from various countries calling the decision wrong and regrettable.

The U.S. announced Tuesday its decision to pull out of UNESCO two years after rejoining. The exit will take effect at the end of Dec 2026.

According to a statement by the U.S. State Department, the withdrawal was due to what Washington saw as the U.N. cultural agency's policy to "advance divisive social and cultural causes" over the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts.

"UNESCO's decision to admit the 'State of Palestine' as a member state is highly problematic, contrary to U.S. policy, and contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization," the statement said.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla noted on Wednesday that the U.S. announcement to withdraw once again highlights the U.S. government's contempt for multilateralism and for the U.N. agency, which is dedicated to promoting peace.

The U.S. is leveraging economic pressure to influence the U.N. agency in an attempt to impose its unsuccessful hegemonic policies, he added.

Palestine also voiced strong dissatisfaction regarding the U.S. withdrawal, calling it a wrong decision.

In a statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the U.S. citing UNESCO's acceptance of the "State of Palestine" as a member state as a reason for its exit represents the U.S. unacceptable politicization of UNESCO's efforts, which will enable Israel's continued crimes.

The U.S. should stop granting Israel impunity on international occasions, said the ministry.

Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot also noted on Tuesday that the decision of the U.S. to withdraw once again from UNESCO is "deeply regrettable."

"In a world shaken by conflict, disinformation and division, we need strong multilateral institutions.This decision weakens a pillar of international cooperation," Prevot posted on X.

China's outstanding aggregate social financing -- the total amount of financing to the real economy -- reached 442.12 trillion yuan (about 63.4 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of 2025, up 8.3 percent year on year, central bank data showed on Thursday.

The country's aggregate social financing stood at 35.6 trillion yuan (about 5.1 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, up by 3.34 trillion yuan (about 479 billion U.S. dollars) from the year 2024, said the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank.

According to the data, the M2, a broad measure of money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, increased 8.5 percent year on year to 340.29 trillion yuan (about 48.8 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of December.

In addition, outstanding yuan loans stood at 271.91 trillion yuan (about 39 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of 2025, up 6.4 percent year on year.