Biden: "Vaccine Donations Without Conditions" · Xi Jinping: "Vaccine Intellectual Property Waiver Needed"

US-China Leaders Compete for Vaccine Diplomacy and Asia-Pacific Leadership at APEC Special Summit

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized that the United States is donating vaccines unconditionally to the world and announced plans to promote U.S.-centered infrastructure development in the Pacific region to counter China's Belt and Road Initiative. Chinese President Xi Jinping countered by insisting that the intellectual property rights of vaccines should be waived.

On the 16th (local time), President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered speeches at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) special summit held via video conference. Both leaders focused on checking each other once again.

According to the White House, President Biden highlighted that the United States has donated more than 500 million doses of safe and effective vaccines to over 100 countries worldwide in relation to overcoming COVID-19.

He also contrasted the U.S. approach with China's vaccine diplomacy by stating that the U.S. donates vaccines without attaching any political or economic conditions.

President Biden emphasized that the U.S. is a Pacific nation and will be deeply involved going forward, underscoring the importance of multilateral cooperation and the commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

He also discussed ways to deepen U.S. engagement in the Indo-Pacific, including the U.S.-led "Build Back Better World" initiative.

This agenda was proposed at the G7 summit and aims to support infrastructure development demands in underdeveloped countries from a Western perspective in response to China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Chinese President Xi Jinping countered by stating that China will strive for a waiver of intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines led by the U.S.

According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, President Xi said, "China supports the waiver of intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines and will work with other countries to urge international organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) to make a prompt decision."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He stated that China has provided 500 million doses (single vaccination doses) of vaccines to developing countries and will assist developing countries' epidemic prevention and economic recovery with $3 billion in international aid within three years.

He also revealed that China has contributed funds to establish a fund under APEC for epidemic prevention and economic recovery.

President Xi further said, "We must tear down walls, not build them. We must integrate, not decouple," emphasizing that the global economy should develop in a more open, inclusive, and mutually beneficial direction while warning against the formation of an anti-China camp by the U.S.

APEC leaders, in a joint statement released after the special summit, emphasized the need to overcome the health crisis by accelerating fair access to vaccines, expanding vaccine manufacturing and supply, and doubling global vaccine distribution efforts. They also expressed support for voluntary technology transfer of vaccine production under mutually agreed conditions.

The joint statement did not include calls for cooperation in investigating the origins of COVID-19. The earlier G7 summit joint statement pressured China to cooperate in confirming the origins of COVID-19.

The New York Post analyzed that through this statement, APEC clearly focused on vaccines and global economic recovery rather than the origins of COVID-19.

There was no real-time face-to-face interaction between President Biden and President Xi. President Biden participated in real time, but President Xi only participated in a pre-recorded format.

This meeting was realized after New Zealand, the chair country this year, proposed discussing COVID-19 measures ahead of the APEC summit in November. Attendees included U.S. President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and South Korea's Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.