US seeks to counter China by rejoining UN scientific and educational organization.

The Biden administration has announced that the US will rejoin UNESCO, the UN's educational and scientific organization, after a five-year absence that began during the Trump presidency. The move is seen as an effort to push back on China's investment in UN organizations and to address the opportunity cost of the US's absence from a key forum for setting standards around education for science and technology. The US owes a significant amount of money to UNESCO for arrears in dues payments, but the administration has set aside $150 million in its current budget plan to pay for a return to the organization.