China joins an agreement to bring the Covid-19 vaccine to the poorest nations

China signed an agreement to ensure that future Covid-19 vaccines are distributed to developing countries, the largest economy still joining the World Health Organization-led bid to control the pandemic.

COVAX’s commitment to bring vaccines to the poorest nations as soon as they are developed is aimed at avoiding fears that rich countries will limit the distribution of innovative drugs made by their pharmaceutical companies.

The agreement gives China, the country where the virus first emerged, a leading role in the global effort to share vaccines with less developed countries.

China joined COVAX to “honor its commitment to make Covid-19 vaccines a global public good,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Friday of the Oct. 8 deal.

He did not elaborate on the amount of money China would commit to the deal, which has a fundraising goal of $ 2 billion and aims to provide a future vaccine to 92 low- and middle-income countries.

Chinese vaccines “will be provided to developing countries as a priority,” Hua said, adding that Beijing hopes that “more capable countries will also join and support COVAX.”

The superpower’s rival, the United States, has not signed the agreement.

China is rushing to find a vaccine, and Beijing makes bold predictions about its launch before the end of the year.

Hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers, emergency personnel and workers abroad have already been injected with vaccines, although the main contenders have not yet completed clinical trials.

Beijing is facing a storm of foreign criticism for its early handling of the pandemic and has been trying to rethink perceptions of its role in Covid-19, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

China has boasted of its success in controlling the pandemic within its borders.

Tens of millions of people returned to work on Friday after a long national “Golden Week” holiday seen as a test of consumer confidence, in contrast to many Western nations hit by closed closings and travel restrictions.