Chinese President Xi Jinping has voiced opposition to an appeal by the United States for an investigation into the origin of the coronavirus when he delivered an online speech to the G20 summit.
China’s foreign ministry says Xi told the summit that China has provided over 1.6 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines to more than 100 countries and international organizations. He added China will provide over 2 billion doses to the world in the course of this year.
Xi proposed providing financial support for global vaccine cooperation, especially to allow developing countries to access vaccines. He also stressed the need to support the World Trade Organization in making an early decision on waiving intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines.
In an apparent warning to the United States, he said, “Stigmatization of the virus and politicization of origins tracing run counter to the spirit of solidarity against the pandemic.”
Xi also proposed holding an international forum on supply chains and called for the participation of G20 members. He said, “We should keep the industrial and supply chains safe and stable, and ensure the smooth functioning of the world economy”.
On the other hand, he noted that forming exclusive blocs or even drawing ideological lines will only cause division and create more obstacles. He apparently had in mind the United States, which hopes to counter China through multifaceted partnerships with friends and allies.
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