'Prepared to cooperate with India on COVID-19 vaccine': Xi Jinping at BRICS summit

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at the 12th BRICS conference, President Xi Jinping remarked that China is prepared to cooperate with India on the COVID-19 vaccine. The Chinese President asserted that the world must keep 'people's welfare' close to heart and pursue the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind. Xi's comments came after PM Modi highlighted India's pivotal role in helping the globe mass produce and distribute the COVID vaccine. 

"We remain convinced that the theme of our times, peace and development has not changed and that the trend toward multipolarity and economic globalization cannot be turned around. We must keep people's welfare close to heart and pursue the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind," Xi Jinping said at the BRICS summit held via video conference. 

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While Xi Jinping extended cooperation to India on the COVID vaccine, PM Modi highlighted the capability of the Indian pharma industry. Emphasizing on the 'Aatmanirbharat Bharat' campaign, PM Modi remarked that the call for self-reliance is based on the belief that resilient India post-COVID can be a force multiplier for the global economy and make a strong contribution to the global value chains. 

"We also saw an example during COVID, when we were able to send essential medicines to more than 150 countries due to the capability of the Indian pharma industry. Similarly, our vaccine production and delivery capacity will also work in the interest of humanity," said PM Modi. 

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Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin also addressed the BRICS summit on Tuesday and expressed that India and China could start producing the Sputnik V - Russia's COVID vaccine. Sputnik V was registered for public use in August, even before its large-scale trial began in September. Putin also suggested the fast-tracking of the creation of a BRICS vaccine research centre. 

"The Russian Direct Investment Fund has reached agreements with its Brazilian and Indian partners on conducting clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine, it has also reached an agreement with pharmaceutical companies in China and India to launch production of the vaccine in these countries not just to cover their needs, but for third countries as well," Putin said.

The race for COVID vaccine 

While Russia claimed the first-ever COVID vaccine for public use when it announced that the Sputnik V was nearly 92% effective, there are more than 100 candidates for the Coronavirus vaccine across the globe. Importantly, USA's Pfizer in association with Biotech announced recently that its vaccine candidate had shown more than 90% efficacy. Another biotech firm - Moderna also boasted of success as it reported that its vaccine candidate has shown nearly 95% of efficacy in the preliminary results of the Phase 3 trials. In India, the Ministry of Health has informed that there are presently 5 vaccine candidates, out of which, 2 are currently in Phase 3 of clinical trials. 

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