Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told UK politicians that the director general of the World Health Organization has been “bought by China," according to several international outlets.
Pompeo made the allegation during a private meeting on Tuesday with British members of Parliament in London, according to The Daily Telegraph, Sydney Morning Herald and The Guardian.
According to the outlets, Pompeo said he viewed U.S. intelligence showing Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was "bought by the Chinese government" in a deal to secure the head job.
"When push came to shove, when it really mattered to us, when there was a pandemic in China, Dr. Tedros — who was hook, line and sinker bought by the Chinese government — and I can't say more but I can tell you I'm saying this on informed intelligence,” Pompeo reportedly told U.K. officials. "There was a deal made in the election and when push came to shove you've got dead Britons because of the deal that was made."
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Pompeo said WHO is “a political, not a science-based organization.”
A WHO spokesperson told Business Insider that “WHO is not aware of any such statement but we strongly reject any ad hominem attacks and unfounded allegations. WHO urges countries to remain focused on tackling the pandemic that is causing tragic loss of life and suffering."
President Donald Trump and Pompeo have been critical of WHO and how it has handled the coronavirus outbreak. In May, Trump announced the U.S. would pull out of its relationship with WHO because China had “total control” over it.
Pompeo’s visit to the U.K. comes a week after Boris Johnson's government announced that it would remove Chinese telecoms firm Huawei from U.K. 5G networks by 2027, citing concerns about risks to national security.
On Tuesday, Pompeo met with Johnson and U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, according to Business Insider.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.