Coronavirus: Beijing permits German residents in China to use BioNTech’s mRNA vaccine
- The move, expected since German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s trip to Beijing, follows Berlin’s clearance of Sinovac vaccine for Chinese living in Germany
- China has not yet granted regulatory approval to any foreign-made Covid-19 vaccines for widespread use on the mainland
Beijing will allow BioNTech’s mRNA vaccine in mainland China but limit its use to German nationals, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
“China and Germany had reached an agreement on administering the German vaccine to German citizens residing in China, and the two sides will discuss the arrangements through diplomatic channels,” ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a news briefing in Beijing.
The decision had been expected since German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Beijing last month.
In a joint news conference then with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Scholz said that approval of the BioNTech vaccine for expatriates in China was on the agenda of their talks and that he was hoping the use could be expanded across mainland China.
Friday’s announcement came two days after German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach issued a permit allowing China’s Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine to be imported and given to Chinese citizens in Germany.
Mao said that Beijing welcomed the move by Berlin.
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