[ad_1]
China will ‘actively consider’ providing its Covid-19 vaccines directly to South Africa and other African countries. This would be in addition to Beijing’s support for Covax, the global partnership between developed and developing countries to finance and bring vaccines to the poorest countries as soon as possible.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said at last week’s BRICS virtual summit that China “would actively consider providing vaccines to BRICS countries where needed.”
South Africa is a member of BRICS, with Brazil, Russia, India and China.
On Tuesday this week, China’s new ambassador to South Africa, Chen Xiaodong, echoed Xi when he noted that Beijing had already committed to providing vaccines to Africa through Covax, but would also “actively consider providing vaccines to the countries in need. “
Chen spoke at a webinar organized by the National Press Club of South Africa on China’s relations with South Africa and Africa. He said China “will deepen pandemic cooperation and build a China-Africa community of health for all.”
In addition to vaccines, China would continue to provide personal protective equipment, dispatch medical experts, and share pandemic experiences with African countries.
“We will fully play South Africa’s important role as a bridge for BRICS cooperation with Africa,” Chen added.
“Under the leadership of BRICS public health cooperation, we will promote the development of the BRICS Vaccine R&D Center, advance research and collective trials of vaccines in BRICS countries including China and South Africa, establish plants, authorize the production and will recognize the standards of others.
“We will support Chinese companies in African countries, including South Africa, in conducting phase 3 vaccine clinical trials and exploring the use of traditional medicine in the prevention and control of Covid-19, in order to help African countries defeat the pandemic at an early stage. “
At the BRICS summit, Xi said it was “important to intensify international coordination, response and support [the] The fundamental role of the WHO in this company ”.
He said Chinese companies were already working with their Russian and Brazilian partners on Phase 3 of vaccine clinical trials. “And we are also ready to cooperate with South Africa and India.”
China had designated its own national center to support the development of the BRICS vaccine research and development center, Xi said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was the host of the BRICS summit, said that cooperation among BRICS countries to combat the Covid-19 pandemic had intensified. He recalled that five years ago the BRICS countries had already agreed to work together to counteract the spread of infectious diseases, including new coronaviruses. As a follow-up, BRICS had established an early warning mechanism for epidemics.
Putin noted that Russia had concluded agreements with India and Brazil to conduct clinical trials of Russia’s Sputnik vaccine and had signed agreements with Chinese and Indian pharmaceutical companies to produce the vaccine on their soil, not only for domestic consumption, but for export to developing countries. .
He said Russia had registered a second Covid-19 vaccine and a third was in the works.
“So we have Russian vaccines on hand and they are effective,” Putin said, adding that all BRICS countries must come together to increase production of the vaccines.
It was also critical to establish the BRICS Center for Vaccine R&D that BRICS leaders had agreed to three years ago at their summit in South Africa.
Meanwhile, at the National Press Club webinar on Tuesday, Chinese Ambassador Chen said that China was also helping to ease the economic burden that the pandemic had imposed on African countries.
“Despite its own difficulties, China has fully implemented the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) and postponed repayment of debt totaling more than $ 1.3 billion.
“China supports the decision on the extension of DSSI and will continue to work with other parties for its full implementation.”
The G20 and the Paris Club of 22 official bilateral creditors launched the DSSI in April, to suspend debt service payments for the poorest countries from May 1 to December 31, 2020. This allowed them to divert payments from the debt service to combat the pandemic. .
Last weekend, the G20 agreed to extend the DSSI for six months until June 30, 2021 and then again until the end of 2021 if that were necessary.
The G20 also agreed to go beyond DSSI by reducing or permanently reducing the debt of the most indebted poor countries. Chen backed the latest plan this week when he said: “China will increase the level of debt relief and suspension for countries facing particular difficulties.”
So far, 29 African countries, with combined debt service payments of about $ 5.3 billion, have agreed to participate in the DSSI.
Chen recalled that China had also agreed to cancel interest-free loans due at the end of 2020 to “relevant” African countries.
“China calls on international multilateral financial institutions and private creditors to increase support to African countries that have been severely affected by the pandemic, including debt restructuring and a further extension of the debt relief period,” Chen said.
“We hope that these measures will help African countries to ease their current economic burdens. China stands ready to take stronger measures to help African countries overcome current difficulties and achieve self-sustainable economic development. ” DM
