China willing to help more countries access to COVID-19 vaccine: FM

BEIJING -- China has made it clear that it is willing to make efforts within its capacity in vaccine development, and give priority to the needs of developing countries including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Oct 16.

Wang made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Xinhua after he held talks last week with Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesian president's special envoy, and Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin in southwest China's Yunnan Province, and wrapped up Friday his Southeast Asia tour, which has taken him to Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand and Singapore.

When talking about how will China fulfill its commitment to make vaccines a global public good, Wang said that virus knows no borders, and only when all countries get rid of the epidemic can the global fight against the COVID-19 be a final victory.

Vaccines are the "ultimate weapon" to prevail over the epidemic, he noted.

On the issue concerning the life and health of all mankind, the international community should cooperate with each other, he said, adding "We should not fight alone, still less monopolize resources."

Noting that China is one of the frontrunners in vaccine development, Wang said China has shared the genetic sequence of the virus with the World Health Organization in a timely manner at the early stage of the epidemic, creating the necessary conditions for global vaccine development.

China will earnestly fulfill its commitment to make vaccines a global public product once they are successfully developed and put into use, and will contribute to the accessibility and affordability of the vaccines in developing countries, said Wang.

The Southeast countries have spoke highly of China's vaccine research and development and expressed the hope to conduct all-dimension cooperation with China in vaccine research and development, purchase, production and use, he noted.

China is ready to help more countries get access to and be able to afford the vaccines, assist countries eventually overcome the epidemic, and make China's contribution to safeguarding the lives and health of people in the region and around the world, Wang added.