Last month, Beijing issued a new policy to make it easier for foreigners to apply for a visa in China if they received a Chinese vaccine – raising concerns among experts, who warned that it could set a dangerous precedent that could leave the world separate. vaccine. silos.
There was also a practical problem: in many countries, including the United States, it is impossible to get a Chinese vaccine because they have not been approved for use by regulators.
With about half of U.S. adults receiving at least one Covid-19 shot, many travelers eligible to enter China – either Chinese citizens or foreigners who managed to obtain a visa – were unsure whether the vaccine they were getting. -they received would be considered enough to travel to China.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington finally provided some clarity in a recent statement, stressing what tests should be obtained for trips to China that received one of the US-approved vaccines – Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson – for to be approved. enter the country.
With China largely back in business and low infection rates, it is likely that many will soon try this process, especially as the number of vaccinations continues to rise in the US.
Last month, China launched its own version of the vaccine passport, the International Travel Health Certificate (ITHC), to allow immunized people to travel more freely. The country is also moving towards approving several vaccines, including those made abroad, which would make it easier for Chinese living abroad and foreigners hoping to travel to China to enroll in the ITHC.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Chinese officials analyzed data from clinical trials for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which could be approved for home use before July.
The Global Times quoted the head of the Chinese Vaccine Industry Association as saying that China’s approval “will show concern” for expatriates who “wanted some foreign-made vaccines for easier recognition when they return home.”
And the approval of the BioNTech vaccine, which has an impressive 97% effectiveness, could also help China improve immunity levels among its own population, amid concerns about the relatively low efficacy of domestic vaccines and the shortage of supplies. .
With the Pfizer-BioNTech shooting among Chinese media outlets, however, its approval may take longer than just a scientific signature, and it remains to be seen how much it has hurt critics in undermining the Chinese public’s confidence in foreign vaccines.
China’s business: Xi is pursuing foreign bosses
Chinese President Xi Jinping this week called for global co-operation in the face of a growing US-led anti-China front and warned that an “open world economy” is key to recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
“Attempts to erect walls or decoupling are against the law of economics and market principles,” Xi said in a video at China’s Boao Forum for Asia on Tuesday. “It would hurt the interests of others without benefiting oneself.”
“We must not let the rules set by one or a few countries be imposed on others or allow the unilateralism pursued by certain countries to set the pace for the whole world,” Xi added.
While Xi did not name any countries during his speech – top Chinese leaders usually do not name and are not ashamed – his remarks seemed a veiled critique of the United States, which has stepped up pressure on China in recent months.
Last month, the United States and its allies condemned Beijing and imposed coordinated sanctions on Chinese officials for allegedly repressing Uighur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang province. Most of the harsh sanctions the Trump administration has imposed on some of China’s largest technology companies remain in place, and trade tensions continue under the Biden administration.
“Non-compliance with others or meddling in the internal affairs of others would not receive any support,” Xi told the forum, which was attended by thousands of political leaders and leaders.
Some of the largest American entrepreneurs and investors attended the event as they try to navigate the tumultuous relationship between the world’s top two economies. Stephen Schwarzman of Blackstone and Ray Dalio, the billionaire founder of the world’s largest hedging fund, attended a panel Monday night, according to organizers. Apple CEO Tim Cook and Tesla CEO Elon Musk are also expected to attend.
– Laura He, CNN Business
Quoted and noted
“At the invitation of US President Joe Biden, President Xi Jinping will attend the April 22 Beijing summit via video and deliver a speech.”
– After the US visit to climate change, John Kerry in Shanghai led to a boring but promising joint statementXi’s participation in Biden’s proposed summit at the end of this month, announced by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, could be a major step forward, both in terms of warming the frozen bilateral relationship and and in addressing the ongoing climate disaster.
The other Super League
With all the attention in the world of football to the slow and ugly collapse of the European Super League (ESL), Chinese The Super League (CSL) started on Tuesday a start a little more worthy of its last season, with a 2-2 draw in the Guangzhou derby.
Launched in 2004, it was not until the early 2010s that CSL emerged on the verge of becoming a major force in global football, with millions of dollars swirling around and key signatures of foreign players in response to a call from Xi to improve China is in global football, with an eye on the future glory of the World Cup.
This glory never came – China made only one appearance in the international competition in 2002, and fell in the qualifying round for the last World Cup, finishing next to the last in its group.
Even the domestic game did not amaze exactly, despite the vast sums of money poured into it and the import of foreign talent both on and off the field. And, in turn, once the owners with free expenses had less stellar profits from their investments.
While part of the slowdown was due to restrictions put in place by the government to restrict marketing – fans complained in particular about how owners changed the names of clubs at will – they were also affected by the pandemic. coronavirus, which supporters of the new ESL also gave as a reason to revive European football.
Part of this plan would be a lower level of importance given to stadium participants and home fan bases and a greater focus on broadcasting rights and international revenues, a model similar to that followed by the CSL, where the hope was that the main signatures of celebrities like Oscar and Carlos Tevez would bring with them spectators from all over the world.
But by detaching the game from its base and focusing on it only as a money-making operation – as the owners pushing ESL have been accused – brings great risks. Earlier this year, Jiangsu FC, the reigning champion of China, was forced to cease operations due to lack of funds, a move that caused panic in European football, given that the club has an owner, retail giant Suning , with the future ESL- founding member of Inter Milano.
photo of the day
The dark side of the common economy: A bicycle cemetery in Shenyang, northeastern Liaoning Province. Similar pillars of abandoned bicycles appeared throughout China after rapid expansion and then implosion of many bicycle sharing applications.
