Coronavirus: China to donate 100 million vaccine doses to developing countries by end of 2021, says Xi Jinping

Xi made the pledge in a virtual summit with the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa

Beijing’s donation drive has spurred accusations from US lawmakers that China is using vaccines to curry favour with developing countries

Reading Time:3 minutes

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the a BRICS summit via video link in Beijing, China on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 1:55am, 10 Sep 2021Updated: 10:20pm, 10 Sep 2021

China will donate 100 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to developing countries by the end of 2021, state news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping made the pledge in a virtual summit with the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa – which together with China make up the BRICS alliance of emerging economies.

As well as unveiling the vaccine donation pledge, Xi used the platform to trumpet the BRICS coalition as an increasingly forceful player in global affairs and to deliver a veiled rejection of criticism from Western governments.

“Our five countries have supported multilateralism and taken part in global governance in the spirit of equity, justice, and mutual assistance,” Xi said. “And we have become an important force on the international stage to be reckoned with.”

Leaders of the BRICS nations Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro during a video conference on Thursday. Photo: India’s Press Information Bureau via AP

In language echoing Chinese officials’ claims that criticism of China from the US and other Western nations constitutes interference in Beijing’s internal affairs, Xi said that the members of BRICS had “respected each other’s social systems and paths of development”.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x