The U.S. Keeps Offering China Its COVID Vaccines. China Keeps Saying No.
China has rebuffed repeated U.S. offers to share COVID-19 vaccines, a rejection that’s led to growing frustration among American officials.
Worried about the rise of new variants and impact on China’s economy, the U.S. has repeatedly offered mRNA vaccines to President Xi Jinping’s government through private channels, but Beijing hasn't been interested.
The U.S. ramped up its offers in recent weeks. The two sides continue to speak through health channels, and China’s response to the repeated U.S. offers has been firm. Every time, Chinese officials have told their U.S. interlocutors that Beijing has the situation under control and doesn’t require assistance, according to anonymous U.S. officials.
China has never lacked access to mRNA shots. Chinese company Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. licensed the vaccine developed by BioNTech SE and Pfizer nearly three years ago and planned to distribute 100 million doses in the country, but authorities in Beijing haven’t granted regulatory approval so far.
I wonder why...
Source:
https://time.com/6245054/us-china-covid-vaccines/
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