Philippine News Agency • June 12, 2020
Duterte, Xi reaffirm partnership to develop Covid-19 vaccine
President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping (Presidential photo)
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping have reaffirmed their commitment to boost the partnership between the Philippines and China for the development of a vaccine against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), Malacañang said on Friday.
During their 38-minute phone conversation on Thursday night, Duterte and Xi pledged to work together in fighting Covid-19, as part of international efforts to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement.
“The President mentioned to his Chinese counterpart the need for cooperation in research trials for Covid-19 vaccine development and underscored the importance of making the vaccine accessible and affordable to all countries,” Roque said.
He said Duterte had received assurance from Xi that China would make the Covid-19 vaccine “available for all,” once developed.
Roque added that Xi had promised that the Philippines, as a “friendly neighbor,” would be a “priority.”
China and the Philippines are among the countries that are still struggling to defeat Covid-19, which originated in Hubei, China in December 2019.
China has a total of 83,064 confirmed Covid-19 cases, while the Philippines has reported 24,175 infections.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved in May the Philippines’ planned collaboration with Chinese and Taiwanese organizations and research groups in the clinical trials for a vaccine against Covid-19.
Also in May, Duterte expressed confidence that China would be among the first countries to develop a Covid-19 vaccine.
Rebooting the economy
In a separate press statement, Malacañang said Duterte and Xi had both acknowledged the importance of international solidarity to address the health and socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Palace said the two leaders had likewise recognized the progress in both countries when it comes to their efforts to address the Covid-19 crisis and reboot their respective economies.
“Both leaders discussed progress in their respective governments' fight against Covid-19 and crucial strategies to restart economies under the new normal,” it said.
Malacañang said Xi had assured Duterte of the continued supply chain connectivity in critical medical supplies and equipment, the promotion of the free flow of goods, and the resumption and completion of priority infrastructure cooperation projects in the Philippines.
Xi, it said, had also thanked the Philippines for helping China by giving donations to Wuhan and stressed that such act of kindness “shall be returned many times more.”
Value of friendship
The “productive, open, and focused” phone conversation between Duterte and Xi, as described by the Palace, happened two days after Manila and Beijing marked the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.
Malacañang said Duterte and Xi had looked back on the value of friendship between the two countries and the significant increase in their cooperation in a wide range of areas.
The two leaders had expressed appreciation for each other’s “very warm” written messages on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-China diplomatic relations, it added.
“The exchange of letters demonstrated shared commitment to strengthen comprehensive strategic cooperation and articulated the resolve to uphold peace, stability, prosperity, and principles of international law, including the rule of law,” the Palace said. (PNA)
