UN chief regrets US decision to withdraw from numerous UN entities: spokesperson

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had expressed regret over the announcement by the White House regarding the U.S. decision to withdraw from a number of United Nations entities, his spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.

The UN chief's response came as the United States is to withdraw from 66 international organizations in accordance with a presidential memorandum signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday.

The memorandum applies to 31 UN entities and 35 non-UN entities, which the White House said "no longer serve American interests."

"We will continue to focus our work in the field, and you know, this is an organization of member states. These member states represent the global population, and it should not be just up to the secretary's job to defend the organization. We depend on civil society, we depend on people, we depend on the private sector and the other members of this organization who should be defending it vocally," said Dujarric.

The spokesperson said that according to the UN Charter, assessed contributions to the United Nations regular budget and peacekeeping budget, as approved by the (UN) General Assembly, are a legal obligation under the UN Charter for all member states, including the United States.

The United Nations has a responsibility to serve those who rely on it, and it will continue to fulfill its mission with unwavering determination. All UN agencies will persist in fulfilling the duties entrusted to them by the member countries, he added.

The spokesperson also confirmed that the United States did not pay its dues to the United Nations in 2025.

Dujarric said that a member state may lose its voting rights at the UN General Assembly at some point if it does not pay its dues to the United Nations for a certain number of years.

"It's Article 19. So, it's not a decision of the secretary-general. It's in the Charter, and it implies that at some point a country may lose its vote in the General Assembly," he stressed.

UN chief regrets US decision to withdraw from numerous UN entities: spokesperson

UN chief regrets US decision to withdraw from numerous UN entities: spokesperson

The number of temporary accommodation registrations of foreign nationals in Shanghai hit a record high of 7.139 million in 2025, up 49.6 percent from the previous year, the Exit-Entry Administration Corps of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau said at a press briefing on Thursday.

The figure, which had already doubled in 2024, points to a continued rise in the number of foreign nationals visiting and staying in the city, highlighting the metropolis's growing appeal to international visitors.

Shanghai also issued more than 200,000 visas and residence permits to foreigners for the second consecutive year in 2025.

Long-term permits, including residence permits, accounted for a share 10 percentage points higher than the previous year, reflecting growing demand for extended stays.

Officials said the increase mirrors Shanghai's expanding openness and improving services for foreign visitors and residents.

"In 2025, Shanghai processed 7.139 million temporary accommodation registrations for foreigners. Following a doubling from the year before last, the figure rose by another 49.6 percent year on year, marking a historical high in the number of foreign nationals coming to Shanghai," said Song Weiqi, deputy head of the administration corps.

Accommodation registrations are required for foreigners staying in China. In 2025, 94.7 percent of temporary accommodation registrations were handled directly by hotels, resulting in a convenient check-in process.

Among foreigners residing in Shanghai's residential communities, 84.8 percent opted for online self-reporting via a multilingual platform that offers efficient, flexible registration.

Meanwhile, to ease the surge in passport applications for foreign travel ahead of the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday in mid-February, the administration corps announced plans to extend service hours for residents.

Shanghai hits a record-high 7.14 million expat accommodation registrations in 2025