St The United States has offered to share vaccines with China to stem the rise in COVID-19 cases, saying it is in the world’s interest to contain the outbreak.
China is unlikely to accept the offer from the United States, its frequent adversary, after Beijing has invested heavily in COVID-19 diplomacy, which includes sending home-made vaccines around the world.
“It’s important that all countries focus on vaccinating people and providing easy access to testing and treatment,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
“The United States is the world’s largest donor of COVID-19 vaccines. We stand ready to continue supporting people around the world, including China, with this and other COVID-19-related healthcare,” Price said. .
“This is in the interest of the rest of the world. Our COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and we have made them available to countries around the world, regardless or despite political differences.”
Price said the new wave in China, the world’s second-largest economy, comes at both a human and economic cost.
“Not only for the PRC, but also for the continued economic recovery of the international community, it is important for the PRC to be able to contain this epidemic,” he said.
China, where COVID-19 was first detected three years ago, until recently had a zero-cases policy that included strict lockdowns.
The Communist leadership suddenly reversed course after rare public protests, but large parts of the population remain unvaccinated, especially the elderly.
Crematorium officials in China told AFP they were struggling to cope with a sharp increase in the death toll.
China’s homemade Sinopharm vaccine is 79% effective against symptoms and hospitalization after two doses, the World Health Organization reported in June, compared with around 95% efficacy for Moderna and Pfizer vaccine products in the United States.
