Xi says China ready to boost global COVID-19 vaccine cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for the meeting to commend role models in China’s fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China Sept. 8, 2020. (File photo by CARLOS GARCIA RAWLINS / Reuters)

BEIJING — President Xi Jinping said on Saturday that China is ready to step up global COVID-19 vaccine cooperation, and called for better international coordination on policies to facilitate movement of people.

Pharmaceutical companies and research centres around the world are working on potential COVID-19 vaccines, with large global trials of several of the candidates involving tens of thousands of participants underway. China has five home-grown candidates undergoing Phase III trials.

“China is willing to strengthen cooperation with other countries in the research and development, production, and distribution of vaccines,” Xi told the G20 Riyadh Summit via video link.

“We will fulfill our commitments, offer help and support to other developing countries, and work hard to make vaccines a public good that citizens of all countries can use and can afford,” he said.

He also called for stronger international policy coordination to establish travel “fast tracks” that would facilitate orderly global movement.

With that in mind, Xi said China would propose the creation of a mechanism by which travellers’ coronavirus test results were recognised internationally through digital health codes.