Washington wishes to put UN in its pocket by delaying dues

ACCORDING TO THE UNITED NATIONS, the world's governing body may run out of cash in August. China Daily writer Li Yang comments:

The UN's budget gap for peacekeeping hit $1.5 billion, and its regular budget gap is about $492 million. The United States is the largest defaulter among all UN members, owing about $1.16 billion in membership dues to the UN, and it has remained behind in its payments since 1986.

Although Washington's debt to the UN is only a hair off a bull's back as it spends about $700 billion on its military a year, the money is necessary to ensure sustainability of the UN's daily operations, particularly its peacekeeping missions.