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Article summary:

1. The United States plans to rejoin UNESCO and pay over $600 million in back dues after a decade-long dispute sparked by the organization's move to include Palestine as a member.

2. The decision to return was motivated by concern that China is filling the gap left by the US in UNESCO policymaking, notably in setting standards for artificial intelligence and technology education around the world.

3. Approval of the US's return seems like a formality after receiving resounding applause from UNESCO's member states, with no objections raised.

Article analysis:

The article reports on the United States' decision to rejoin UNESCO and pay back dues, after a decade-long dispute sparked by the organization's move to include Palestine as a member. The decision was motivated by concern that China is filling the gap left by the US in UNESCO policymaking, notably in setting standards for artificial intelligence and technology education around the world. The move will face a vote by UNESCO's member states in the coming weeks, but approval seems a formality after the resounding applause that greeted the announcement in UNESCO's Paris headquarters Monday.

The article provides some background information on why the US stopped financing UNESCO and withdrew from the agency altogether under the Trump administration. It also notes that while Palestinian membership in UNESCO was the trigger for the US fallout with the agency, its return is more about China's growing influence. Undersecretary of State for Management John Bass said in March that "the U.S. absence from UNESCO had strengthened China, and 'undercuts our ability to be as effective in promoting our vision of a free world.'"

However, there are some potential biases and missing points of consideration in this article. For example, it does not explore counterarguments or present both sides equally regarding whether China's influence is actually a threat or if it could be beneficial for global policymaking. Additionally, while it notes that Israel has long accused the United Nations of anti-Israel bias and did not comment on whether they would rejoin UNESCO, it does not provide any further context or perspectives on this issue.

Furthermore, while the article mentions that Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO's director general who is Jewish, won broad praise for her personal efforts to build consensus among Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli diplomats around sensitive UNESCO resolutions, it does not provide any evidence or examples of these efforts. This lack of evidence could potentially undermine her credibility and make her seem biased towards certain parties.

Overall, while this article provides some useful information on why the US is rejoining UNESCO and the potential implications of this decision, it could benefit from more balanced reporting and deeper analysis of the issues at hand.