Interview: China holds health security commitment as global vaccine supplier, says scholar

MANILA, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- China has held health security commitments in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by sustaining the supply of vaccines to developing countries, said a Philippine scholar in a recent interview with Xinhua.

"China establishes its competence to inspire and lead, and deliver the material realization of the vital contributions to mankind's safety and progress," said Herman Tiu Laurel, founder of Philippine-BRICS Strategic Studies.

China has recently unveiled a plan to foster lasting global peace and shared prosperity, including striving to provide a total of 2 billion doses of vaccines against COVID-19 to the world by the end of this year.

"These promises have come one-after-another and have been faithfully fulfilled by China to the benefit of the global community, especially the developing countries," Laurel said.

China practiced vaccine humanitarianism, making every effort to produce vaccines that can be easily transported and stored for developing countries that need it most, and allocating as equitably as possible the continuous flow of vaccines to developing countries, Laurel added.

The vaccine gap between different countries is a real challenge, and China has stepped forward to ramp up its production and promised vaccines for the world, Laurel added.

Laurel noted that China has provided a lifeline to the Philippines' efforts to step up its fight against COVID-19 by sustaining its supply of inactivated vaccines.

China has been delivering Sinovac vaccines to Manila since Feb. 28, becoming the first country to provide coronavirus vaccines to the Philippines in the world and allowing the Southeast Asian country to kick off its vaccination drive on March 1.

As of now, China has delivered more than 50 percent of the Philippines' COVID-19 vaccines stockpile.

"Vaccine cooperation extended by China to the Philippines has been a lifesaver for millions of Filipinos," the scholar said.

The people of the Philippines have learned that China is indeed a caring and reliable friend and brother, Laurel noted, saying that he has seen growing bilateral cooperation and ever closer partnership and friendship between the two countries and peoples.

"I see more avocados, dragon fruits, and of course, the traditional exports such as pineapples and bananas entering the Chinese market. I see Filipino animators joining the job market in China as a boon from the opening of services trade by China," Laurel said, expecting the Philippines and China to continue cooperation in the future.