China supports developing countries' COVID-19 vaccine IPR appeal

BEIJING - China understands and supports the appeal of developing countries to exempt the intellectual property rights (IPR) of COVID-19 vaccines, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on many developing countries' hope to exempt the IPR of COVID-19 vaccines.

Noting vaccines are a powerful weapon in the fight against the pandemic, Zhao said as the largest developing country and a responsible member of the international community, China will do everything to help developing countries prevail over the pandemic.

"China supports any action conducive to the equitable access to vaccines for developing countries. It is a reflection of the nature of COVID-19 vaccines as a global public good and a necessary part of the construction of a global community of health for all," he added.

China has been making contributions to the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries, although it has a huge population and very tight vaccine supplies itself, said Zhao. He added that China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine has been validated for emergency use by the World Health Organization.

China has also announced offering of COVID-19 vaccines for UN peacekeeping operations and the International Olympic Committee. These offers are making positive progress, he added.

"China will continue to make contributions to making vaccines more equitable and accessible in developing countries. We also call on capable countries to take concrete actions to support and help developing countries to obtain the vaccines to contribute to an early victory over the pandemic for humanity," Zhao said.