vaccine Photo:VCG

China is not conducting coronavirus vaccine testing in Papua New Guinea, said the Chinese ambassador to PNG, slamming certain foreign media outlets' ill-intended fake news which suggested that China was testing a vaccine in PNG through the employees of one of its companies.

All 48 Chinese employees had obtained negative nucleic acid test certificates for COVID-19 in China before their departure for PNG and have strictly implemented the country's local epidemic control measures upon their arrival, Xue Bing, Chinese ambassador to PNG, told the Global Times on Friday.

Based on the PNG government's approval, the Chinese employees arrived in the country to resume their work, helping advance the country's economic recovery, Xue said, condemning and expressing strong dissatisfaction with those media outlets spreading rumors without any factual basis.

The Australian, for example, is one of such outlets that has tried to start spreading the rumor, suggested that a Chinese company immunized its employees before they went back to PNG in order to conduct coronavirus vaccination trials, as Australia and China enter into "vaccine diplomacy" battle for influence across the region.

Following the slanderous remarks against the Chinese company, the report elaborated that Australia should be the one to win the "battle" and gain influence in its neighboring country which has "inadequate testing resources, poor health services and high levels of poverty." 

In fact, China is one of the fastest countries in the world to have controlled the deadly virus, and has since been ramping up its efforts to reboot its economic recovery. Alongside its all-out efforts to fight the virus, it has continuously offered help to various countries and regions across the world by donating masks and other medical supplies, as well as cooperation on vaccine research.

Instead of using vaccines to win a "battle" as stated in The Australian, China has reiterated that once it develops an effective vaccine, it will be made a public good for the entire world.

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at Friday's routine media briefing that the research and development of China's vaccines strictly follow scientific and standardized procedures, with strict safety and efficacy evaluations, as well as ethical reviews.

In accordance with legal provisions and international common practices, the emergency use of vaccines should be carried out under the premise of scientific evaluation and verification, legal examination and approval, and voluntary participation, so as to safeguard people's health to the greatest extent, Zhao noted.