China joins COVAX initiative for COVID-19 vaccine distribution

BEIJING (Reuters), 9 Oct, 2020 -   China said on Friday it has joined a global COVID-19 vaccine initiative co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO), becoming the biggest economy to date to pledge support to help buy and distribute the shots fairly.   

The move by China, where the new coronavirus was first reported, comes as it holds separate talks with the WHO to have its locally produced COVID-19 vaccines assessed for international use.   It also comes amid international criticism about Beijing’s handling of the pandemic that led unfavourable views toward China to soar in a recent survey of advanced countries.   A statement from the Chinese foreign ministry on Friday did not give details on the level of support Beijing will provide to the programme, known as COVAX, though President Xi Jinping pledged in May $2 billon over the next two years to help deal with the pandemic that has claimed more than 1 million lives to date.