It's a correct step for Western countries to recognize Chinese COVID-19 vaccines

A number of Western countries have extended the list of COVID-19 jabs that inbound travelers must be given before entry since September this year, including France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Ireland.

The first batch of 300,000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines donated to Madagascar by the Chinese government arrives at Tananarive, capital of the African country, Sept. 24, 2021. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in Madagascar)

These countries now recognize all vaccines authorized by the World Health Organization (WHO). China's Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines are also on the list.

It means that travelers who have received any of the two Chinese vaccines 14 days prior to the day of arrival are allowed to enter these countries without need of quarantine.

Finally, these countries took a correct step.

Chinese COVID-19 vaccines, since being developed, had been slandered before they are gradually recognized today. Why are these Western countries changing their tone? The answer is obvious - Chinese jabs smashed doubts with performance and won respect with credibility, leaving no possibility for these Western countries to keep on wearing their "coke bottle" glasses that transmit only ideological bias.

International studies and clinical data have long proved the safety and efficacy of Chinese vaccines.

A total of 600,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines donated by China to the Philippines arrive at an airport in Manila, Feb. 28, 2021. Chinese vaccines are the first COVID-19 vaccines received by the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines)

The Journal of the American Medical Association posted a report that shows that in the U.S., the two inactivated vaccines developed by the China National Biotec Group (CNBG) affiliated with Sinopharm can produce high tier antibodies 14 days after two shots are administered, and the positive conversion rate of the neutralizing antibody reached over 99 percent.

Sri Lanka's University Of Sri Jayawardenapur also proved in a study that antibodies were detected in 95 percent of the receivers who got two jabs, and the Sinopharm vaccines are very effective against the Delta variant.

In Chile, the efficacy of Chinese vaccines reached 90.3 percent for the prevention of severe disease, and COVID-19 mortality rate among Uruguayans aged 18 to 69 who were vaccinated with Chinese vaccines fell by more than 95 percent.

Facts speak louder than words. International organizations and many countries have expressed their trust for Chinese vaccines with concrete actions. Political dignitaries took the lead to be inoculated with Chinese vaccines, and a number of countries placed orders for Chinese jabs. Besides, the WHO approved the emergency use of Chinese vaccines.

Taking COVID-19 vaccines as a global public product, China values and fulfills its promises. As a major manufacturer, the country is constantly improving its production capacity of COVID-19 vaccines, which has alleviated the short supply of jabs around the world and filled the vaccination gap. So far, China has provided over 1.8 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines for more than 120 countries and international organizations. A total of 5.6 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered outside China, and 1/3 of them were offered by China.

Western countries have been totally aware of the fact that Chinese vaccines are safe, efficient and affordable. Then why did they wait so long before giving the green light to Chinese jabs? Profits are the only reason. Only the green light to Chinese vaccines can save their traumatized economy.

A total of 200,000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Red Cross Society of China to the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society are shipped on Oct. 25. (Photo courtesy of the Red Cross Society of China)

The world has been constantly advancing the vaccination drive since this year, which to a degree alleviated the pandemic. Some Western countries eased border restrictions to revitalize tourism and cross-border trade. However, the pandemic is still posing threats, with resurgence occurring one after another and the virus varying rapidly. Under such a background, how can these Western countries bring back businesses while lowering the risks of reopening their ports? Obviously the risks would not be very much lowered if Chinese vaccines are not taken into their consideration.

Apart from that, the Chinese market is too huge to be neglected. It is the world's largest and most potential consumption market that involves 1.4 billion people, including 400 million middle income earners. Who would really give it up?

Just as Kiyoyuki Seguchi, the research director with the Canon Institute for Global Studies has said, there is no other market in the world as attractive as China over the next 10 to 15 years.

At present, the pandemic is still ravaging the world while the economy is going through fragile recovery. Only by putting aside arrogance and prejudices and embracing cooperation and solidarity can the world walk out of the shadow and see a beam of light.