What’s new: China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) agreed to mutually recognize health codes tracking residents’ exposure to the coronavirus as part of a series of cooperative measures to boost bilateral ties.
The two countries reached an agreement in principle on mutual recognition of health codes during a two-day visit by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to the Mideast country, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
The nations will also work together to promote international recognition of health QR codes as part of efforts to revive cross-border travel amid the pandemic, Xinhua said.
More to know: During the visit, Wang and top UAE officials pledged to step up cooperation in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and explore cooperation on vaccines as well as other areas such as energy, finance and high-tech.
Under an agreement signed during Wang’s visit, a UAE factory will start producing the Covid-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinopharm in April, the first deal to produce the Chinese inoculation abroad. The UAE was the first country to approve the Sinopharm vaccine for general use in December.
Wang’s trip to the UAE, part of a regional tour, is seen as China’s latest effort to strengthen strategic ties in the Middle East.
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (bobsimison@caixin.com).
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