What’s new: President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that China is committed to enhancing coordination on the Covid-19 pandemic and advanced industrial innovation with its fellow members of the BRICS group, a developing country block consisting of China, Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa.
Speaking at a BRICS leaders' summit via video link, Xi said that China is willing to consider providing Covid-19 vaccines to member states in need and will support building a vaccine research and development center for the developing country club.
The Chinese president also said that China will open an innovation center in the coastal city of Xiamen to advance cooperation on the BRICS Partnership on the New Industrial Revolution regarding policy coordination, personnel training and project development.
Chinese vaccine companies are now working with their Russian and Brazilian partners on phase 3 clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccines, and are preparing to work with South Africa and India, according to the president's speech.
The background: At the virtual summit, Xi met his counterparts from the other four BRICS countries: Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
BRICS is the acronym coined for five major emerging national economies. Since its founding in 2009, leaders of the BRICS countries have meet annually.
Contact reporter Lu Zhenhua (zhenhualu@caixin.com) and editor Heather Mowbray (heathermowbray@caixin.com)
