Xi in vaccine 'for global good' vow

China will make any coronavirus vaccine it develops a "global public good" once it is put into use, President Xi Jinping told the World Health Organization assembly last night.

Xi also told the assembly's first-ever virtual gathering that China will provide US$2 billion (HK$15.6 billion) in global Covid-19 aid over two years.

And Beijing supports a "comprehensive evaluation" of the global response to the pandemic after the virus "has been brought under control," Xi added.

China has five potential vaccines in clinical trials as countries race to find a way to stop the pathogen that has killed over 315,000 people worldwide.

In his speech, Xi said: "After the research and development of China's coronavirus vaccine is completed and it is put into use, it will be made a global public good."

This move would be China's contribution to achieving accessibility and affordability of a vaccine in developing countries as well, Xi said.

More vaccine candidates are in the pipeline and awaiting approval for human trials, said Zeng Yixin, deputy director of the National Health Commission, last week.

Experts say it will take at least 12 to 18 months to develop an effective vaccine, or an even longer period.

The US$2 billion will support response efforts, particularly in developing countries, Xi said.

The two-day assembly is expected to discuss a resolution being presented by the European Union that calls for an independent evaluation of the WHO's performance under its director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Xi said China has "always had an open, transparent and responsible attitude," and had shared information on the virus in a timely manner. "We have turned the tide on the virus," Xi said.

The global response should "sum up experiences and improve shortcomings," he added.

Names on a draft resolution calling for an independent evaluation reportedly showed support from 116 of the 194 countries in the WHO.

Secretary-general Antonio Guterres called the organization "irreplaceable" and said it needed greater resources to provide support for developing countries.

Governments including the United States and Australia have also called in recent weeks for an investigation into the origins of the virus, which has become a flashpoint in deteriorating tensions between Washington and Beijing.

Both US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have accused China of a lack of transparency over the issue and repeatedly pushed the theory that the virus emerged from a Wuhan maximum-security laboratory. but most scientists believe the virus originated in animals before it was passed on to humans.

Tedros pledged to launch an independent probe to review the pandemic response as soon as possible.

"I will initiate an independent evaluation at the earliest appropriate moment to review experience gained and lessons learned and to make recommendations to improve national and global pandemic preparedness and response," he said.

Meanwhile, Europe reopened more widely yesterday, allowing people into the Acropolis in Athens, high-fashion boutiques in Italy, museums in Belgium, golf courses in Ireland and beer gardens in Bavaria.

New infections and deaths have slowed considerably in Europe, where some countries started easing lockdowns a month ago. Many nations are preparing to open their borders next month, trying to sketch out the rules for a highly unusual summer tourist season.

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