Posted on 07/27/2020 2:44:29 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday he had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to prioritize the Philippines when it develops a vaccine against the novel coronavirus.
Duterte—who is fostering better ties with Beijing—disclosed this during his fifth State of the Nation Address.
“Four days ago, I made a plea to President Xi Jinping that if they have the vaccine, can they allow us to be the one of the first or if it is needed, if we have to buy it that we will be granted credit so we can normalize as fast as possible,” the chief executive said.
The coronavirus pandemic is showing no signs of slowing down in the Philippines, with the national caseload reaching 82,040 as of Monday—65% of which are active cases.
Early in his speech, Duterte told the public not to despair because the vaccine against COVID-19 is “around the corner.”
Laboratories across the world are racing to produce a vaccine to help end the health crisis that has already infected 16.2 million people globally. But World Health Organization said last week that COVID-19 vaccinations cannot be expected until early 2021.
The Philippines recently joined the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility, which aims to help ensure fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. Under the COVAX facility, vaccines will be initially delivered equally to all participating countries, initially prioritizing health care workers, then expanding to cover 20% of the population.
The government’s task force on pandemic response also approved the country’s participation in clinical trials conducted by Chinese biopharmaceutical companies developing their own COVID-19 vaccines.
China’s Sinovac Biotech and Sinopharm as well as the University of Oxford were the three companies moving into Phase III trials of COVID-19 vaccine development.
Duterte also said this in his annual State of the Nation Address:
Duterte also reiterated that he would not confront China over its South China Sea claims, saying diplomacy was the best approach because the alternative was to go to war and he could not afford to do that.
He said, “China is claiming [the West Philippine Sea], we are claiming it. China has the arms, we do not … So it’s simple as that. They are in possession of the property.”
Xi: “Be my little bidj, then boy”.
Give us a naval base and we’ll (pretend to) give you priority access.
“Duterte also reiterated that he would not confront China over its South China Sea claims, saying diplomacy was the best approach because the alternative was to go to war and he could not afford to do that.”
If he wants to go the diplomatic route that’s fine but never tell them you are using diplomacy because you can’t afford to go to war. He is not too bright.
Agreed.
It’s also stupid to tell your people that you cannot protect and defend them. The diplomacy should be with neighbors to create a coalition similar to NATO.
By themselves, no. But an USA-free alliance of Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia projecting their combined naval forces into the South China Sea to keep their shipping lanes open might at least give Xi a stomach ache.
Singapore - like Switzerland - would remain neutral. Which they can because their banks hold a good percentage of all of those other nations' money. :)
A bunch of your people are gonna die Mr Duterte ...
Nonono! Me first! Me!
What is wrong with people?
Just another liberal hoping the alligator will eat him last.
Duterte has had a feud with the CIA for years, and their patsies have been opposing him in the name of human rights, crying about dead criminals while ignoring the public is now safer.
. And the friendliness with China is because he is indeed trying to make nice with them because he did not see an alternative.
When the Islamacists took over a city here in the south, the military had just been denied weapons from the US under Obama so he had to get them from China and Russia.. Obama let the chinese take over the West Philippine sea, Trump stepped up navy pushback,and only now are other countries helping with the pushback since China could block major shipping lanes.
When I was last in the Philippines in 65 they were about to throw us out. They are a great people and I don't blame him for getting tough on the dope dealers and muzzies survival requires it, but the groveling before China is not a good choice. I can understand why they might not like cozying up to the Japanese after the way they were treated in WW II.
I loved liberty there, always friendly and safe there during Marcos's day.
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