International Olympic Committee and UN Peacekeepers get strong support of Chinese vaccines

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The International Olympic Committee and China have teamed up to offer vaccines to athletes and teams preparing for the upcoming games in both Tokyo and Beijing, the IOC said last Thursday. “The IOC has received a kind offer from the Chinese Olympic Committee, hosts of the 2022 Beijing winter Olympics, to make additional vaccine doses available to participants in both editions of the Olympic Games, Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022,” IOC President Thomas Bach told the Olympic body’s virtual session.

The Tokyo Olympics, postponed because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, were the first Games outside wartime to be canceled but have been rescheduled for July 23 to August 8.  Due to the delay the Beijing Games will now start just over six months after Tokyo. 

The Olympics involve more than 10,000 athletes while usually tens of thousands more people are involved in the Games as coaching staff, media, volunteers and officials. 

“The Chinese Olympic Committee is ready in cooperation with the IOC to make these additional doses available … either via collaboration with international partners or directly in countries where agreements regarding Chinese vaccines are in place. The IOC will pay for the additional doses of vaccines not only for Olympic but also Paralympic teams,” Bach said. 

“Not a single one of these events turned into a virus spreader, or put at risk the health of the host communities.” Bach said. “The IOC will make every effort to have as many participants arriving already vaccinated in Japan. I can inform you that a significant number of Olympic teams have been vaccinated in line with national vaccination guidelines,” he said.

Meanwhile, China supports early COVID-19 vaccination for UN peacekeepers and will work with the UN Secretariat to make vaccines donated by China available to the UN peacekeepers at an early date, a foreign ministry spokesperson said here Tuesday.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian’s remarks came after China’s permanent representative to the United Nations Ambassador Zhang Jun on Monday notified UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of China’s intention to donate 300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to UN peacekeepers, with priority given to the African mission area. 

This is a concrete measure to fulfill China’s pledge to make vaccines global public goods, Zhao said, adding that it has fully demonstrated China’s support to the UN and multilateralism as well as its concern for the health and safety of peacekeepers. 

As one of the champions of the safety and security issue under the “Action for Peacekeeping” initiative of the UN secretary-general, China attaches great importance to the safety and security of peacekeepers, and supports early COVID-19 vaccination for UN peacekeepers to protect their health and help them better perform their duties, he said. 

“China will work closely with the UN Secretariat to make vaccines donated by China available to the UN peacekeepers at an early date,” said Zhao.

Sri Lanka China Journalists Forum
Sri Lanka China Journalists Forum
Sri Lanka China Journalists' Forum was established in May 2001 as the Sri Lanka - China Young Journalists' Forum and was in force as a main association that promotes mutual understanding between Sri Lanka and China.

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