柬埔寨從主要盟友中國獲得首批COVID-19疫苗

Recently Yahoo new on-line reported the following:

Cambodia gets first COVID-19 vaccine from key ally China

SOPHENG CHEANG

Associated Press Sun., February 7, 2021, 4:29 a.m.

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia on Sunday received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine, a donation of 600,000 doses from China, the country’s biggest ally.

Prime Minister Hun Sen, his senior Cabinet members and Chinese Ambassador Wang Wentian were at Phnom Penh International Airport for a reception ceremony for the Sinopharm vaccine carried by a Chinese Air Force flight.

Hun Sen had announced that he would be the first person to be vaccinated, but backtracked last week, saying the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine was effective only for people aged between 18 and 59, while he is 68.

He said Sunday at the airport that he would urge younger members of his family, as well as top officials and generals under 60, to get vaccinated Wednesday as an example to the public.

China, were [sic] the virus was first found in late 2019, has been making such donations to several nations in what has been dubbed “vaccine diplomacy,” aimed especially at poorer countries like Cambodia

China is Cambodia’s biggest investor and closest political partner, and provides Hun Sen critical support that he is denied by Western nations, which maintain cool relations because they judge his government to be repressive. Cambodia in turn backs Beijing’s geopolitical positions in international forums on issues such as China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Chine recently announced it would give Cambodia 1 million doses of the vaccine produced by Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co., but a date for delivering the rest of the promised amount has not yet been set.

Cambodia has recorded 474 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with no deaths.

Hun Sen said earlier this month that Cambodia seeks to reserve 20 million vaccine doses to inoculate 10 million people, roughly two-thirds of its total population

He said that so far, Cambodia had received pledges of assistance that would allow it to acquire 11 million doses.

In addition to the 1 million doses from China, Australia has announced a grant of $28 million to purchase 3 million vaccine doses, and it is also set to get 7 million doses through the WHO’s COVAX initiative.

Cambodian Health Minister Mam Bunheng has said his ministry is allowing use of the Sinopharm vaccine under emergency authorization but did not say when mass vaccinations would begin.

Chinese army specialists came to Cambodia ahead of the vaccine to provide instructions on its storage, transport and usage.

Translation

柬埔寨金邊（AP）— 柬埔寨週日收到了第一批COVID-19疫苗，這是該國的最大盟友中國捐贈的60萬劑。

總理洪森 (Hun Sen)，與其高級內閣成員和中國大使王文田(Wang Wentian)在金邊國際機場舉行了由中國空軍飛行攜帶的國藥疫苗的接收儀式。

洪森曾經宣布自己將是第一個接受疫苗注射的人，但上週撤回宣布，他說中國製造的國藥疫苗僅對18歲至59歲之間的人有效，而他是68歲。

他週日在機場說，他將敦促家人的年輕成員以及60歲以下的高級官員和將軍們在周三接種疫苗，以向公眾示範。

在中國, 該病毒是在2019年底被首次發現。中國一直在向幾個國家捐贈疫苗，特別是針對柬埔寨等較貧窮的國家, 被稱為“疫苗外交” 。

中國是柬埔寨最大的投資國和最密切的政治夥伴，並向洪森提供了至關重要而西方國家拒絕給予的支持。因為西方國家認為他的政府是一個鎮壓政府, 故保持冰冷的關係。柬埔寨作出回報, 在國際論壇上支持北京的地緣政治立場, 例如在中國在南的領土主張等問題上。

中國最近宣布將向柬埔寨提供100萬劑北京生物製品研究所生產的疫苗，但尚未承諾其余劑量的提供日期。

柬埔寨已記錄得474例確診的冠狀病毒病例，沒有死亡個案。

洪森本月早些時候表示，柬埔寨尋求儲備2000萬劑疫苗，以接種1000萬人，約佔其總人口的三分之二。

他說，到目前為止，柬埔寨已收到援助承諾，將獲得1100萬劑。

柬埔寨除了來自中國的100萬劑疫苗，澳大利亞亦有宣布撥款2800萬美元購買300萬劑疫苗，而且柬埔寨還將通過世界衛生組織的COVAX計劃獲得700萬劑疫苗。

柬埔寨衛生部長Mam Bunheng表示，他的部門允許在緊急授權下使用國藥疫苗，但沒有透露何時開始大規模疫苗接種。

中國軍隊專家在射疫苗來到柬埔寨之前已抵達，以提供有關其儲存，運輸和使用的指導。

              So, China is giving out the Covid-19 vaccine to its alliance. It is interesting to know that Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine is effective only for people aged between 18 and 59.

Note:

COVAX is the abbreviation of “COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access”. It is a global effort that aims at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. It is formed by organizations such as  the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), together with others.