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KUALA LUMPUR: China agreed to include Malaysia on a list of priority recipients of a COVID-19 vaccine once it is successfully developed.
This was announced on Tuesday (October 13) by Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein during a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, who is in Malaysia as part of a short tour of Southeast Asia. .
“We welcome and appreciate China’s commitment to provide Malaysia with COVID-19 vaccines produced in China, once successfully developed and on Malaysia’s list as a priority recipient,” he said.
“We also welcome China’s agreement to encourage Chinese companies to establish comprehensive cooperation with Malaysian partners in vaccine research, development and distribution.”
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Hishammuddin also said Malaysia is closely monitoring the development of the vaccine, adding that obtaining the vaccine is a high priority issue for the government.
“If we want to find a way to advance the treatment of COVID-19, there are only two ways to do it, one is to prevent through vaccination and the other is to cure with drugs,” he said.
China has said the vaccine could be ready for use by the general public from November, he added.
“(Wang Yi’s) visit to Kuala Lumpur is the new platform for us to make sure we are not left behind in vaccine cooperation and coordination,” Hishammuddin said.
“As the Foreign Ministry, we must continue to negotiate and ensure (that) Malaysia establishes diplomatic agreements with our counterparts to ensure that when we make judgment-based decisions and when they are made public, Malaysia will not be left behind.”
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