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China to help coronavirus-hit Indonesia close vaccine divide
- Beijing will aid Jakarta’s efforts to build a regional vaccine production centre, Xi Jinping tells Joko Widodo
- Indonesia battles delays in AstraZeneca doses from India
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China will work with Indonesia to try to close the “vaccination divide” as the Southeast Asian country grapples with delays in shipments of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.
During a phone call on Tuesday with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China would help Indonesia to build a regional vaccine production centre while also continuing to vaccinate its own citizens.
“China and Indonesia both highly prioritise public safety and health, and reject ‘vaccine nationalism’,” a Chinese foreign ministry statement quoted Xi as saying.
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Widodo has described vaccine access as a test of international cooperation.
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Indonesia has the highest number of Covid-19 cases in Southeast Asia and turned to China and the United States after a surge in cases in India resulted in delays in Indian-made AstraZeneca jabs distributed through the WHO-led Covax facility.
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