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A pop-up testing site in Times Square in New York as cases continue to surge in the US. Photo: Reuters

China’s new ambassador to US calls for Covid-19 cooperation

  • Qin Gang, who is currently in quarantine in Washington, tweets that the two countries should work together on vaccines and helping other countries
  • But some observers say that given the deep-seated tensions between the countries, his intervention will make little difference
China’s new ambassador to the United States has called for cooperation in fighting Covid-19 despite the growing tensions between the two countries.

Qin Gang, currently completing his second week of quarantine in Washington, tweeted on Friday that the spread of the Delta variant was causing a resurgence of infections in the US and local outbreaks in China.

“How about our two countries working together on solutions, eg more effective vaccines & helping other countries?” he tweeted.

The world has now registered more than 200 million Covid-19 cases, according to data from the World Health Organization.
Both China and the US have donated millions of vaccines around the world, but with the emergence of ever more infectious variants of Covid-19, the time it took for the mark of 200 million cases to be reached was only half of the time it took for the 100-million-mark to be reached.

Cheng Xiaohe, a professor of international relations at Renmin University, said Qin’s reputation outside China was that of a tough diplomat but since arriving to the US his rhetoric has been “conciliatory and forward-looking.”

“From his speeches and this tweet one can guess that Qin Gang’s purpose in the US is not to be excessively confrontational with the US but to look for a kind of compromise and consensus in the relationship” said Cheng.

Cheng said that this was an ideal area of cooperation because it was not too sensitive politically. Despite the competitive nature of both countries’ vaccine diplomacy, issues such as vaccine passports require cooperation.

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“For the world to enter the post-Covid-19 era where we coexist with the virus, US-China cooperation is essential because without things like recognising each other’s vaccines, the free circulation of people won’t be possible,” said Cheng.

However, other Chinese observers were sceptical that Qin’s olive branch would have much effect.

Shi Yinhong, former adviser to the State Council, China’s cabinet, said Qin’s message signalled that he would try to mitigate problems in the two countries’ relationship, but was more rhetorical than practical.

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“I don’t think that anyone can productively and lastingly mitigate the situation, especially in any one of the disputed areas,” he said, pointing to issues such as Hong Kong, Xinjiang, the South China Sea and Taiwan.
Shi added that not even Qin’s predecessor, Cui Tiankai, who was highly respected within Washington, was unable to “make any substantive difference”.
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