WASHINGTON - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has urged the World Bank to halt its financial assistance to China, arguing that the funds should instead be directed toward countries with greater economic needs. The American call for change is already influencing the tone and direction of discussions within the World Bank, according to board member Eugene Rhuggenaath.

Rhuggenaath, who represents the Kingdom of the Netherlands on the World Bank’s Board of Directors, described a “changed dynamic” since the United States adopted its new approach. “Discussions about future policy are suddenly taking place in a very different way,” he said during the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The U.S. wants the World Bank to return to its core mission of poverty reduction. Washington argues that in recent years too much emphasis has been placed on climate financing, while the IMF, in turn, should refocus on ensuring global financial stability.

Bessent also pressed the IMF to take a more critical stance toward China’s economic policies, stressing that the institution should not shy away from asking tough questions about how industrial policies in major economies—particularly China—contribute to global imbalances.

Rhuggenaath’s remarks underscore that U.S. pressure is already being felt inside the World Bank’s boardrooms. Earlier this year, there were concerns that the United States might withdraw entirely from the World Bank and the IMF, but it now appears that Washington’s strategy is focused instead on driving internal policy shifts within the institutions.