If China is the first to have a vaccine, Limburg does not have to count on priority. That says Hans Moleman, former China correspondent of the Volkskrant. He believes that Limburg should better evaluate its trade ties with China.
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Moleman made his statements in the L1 program Evening Guests: Corona in Limburg.
Negotiating situation
Limburg has had a partnership with the province of Sichuan since 2014, but according to Moleman, this is not an advantage if there is a vaccine: “Just forget that it is the turn of the people in the Limburg nursing homes if China is the first to have a vaccine. That you should not want to. The Chinese sees a nice negotiating position for himself. ”
In addition to the provincial partnership, various cities in Limburg also have separate partnerships with Chinese cities. For example, Maastricht has an agreement with the provincial capital of Sichuan, Chengdu.
Little outcome
Limburg is not naive in the partnerships, according to Moleman: “No, Limburg administrators know very well what kind of meat they have on the hook in China. Only it is attractive to see if you can make deals there. The past few years have shown that there is very little coming out of the bonds of friendship. Actually, this pandemic would be a good time to review that whole period, have a good discussion about it and see what it has brought you. “
Moleman can see that a realization has arisen from the corona virus: “We should not depend on countries such as China or Russia when it comes to strategic matters. The pandemic has shown that, even with trivial things such as mouth masks, you in Europe must have independent resilience, and that also applies to industry. ”
Vaccine
Also during the development of the vaccine there is little communication, says Astrid Oude Lashof, infectious scientist of the MUMC +: “It is a lot for everyone and we only share very little. It would be much better if there is more cooperation. You sees that China wants to make its own vaccine and show the world that they can do it well. At the same time, for example, the United Kingdom and the United States want that too. I feel that not much is being shared. ”
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