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May
Macron says France will help Africa make more COVID-19 vaccines locally
Written by Nur Yasmin
President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday France would invest in boosting the production of COVID-19 vaccines in Africa, to help close a gap in the availability of the shots between African and Western nations.
Speaking at a joint news conference with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria, Macron said Africa made up around 20% of the world's need for vaccines but only 1% of vaccine production.
"How do we boost the production of vaccines on the African continent?" he said. "On this, we will this afternoon have an investment strategy to help these industrials produce more, and quite quickly."
He said France already had a partnership with South Africa's Biovac Institute. Later on Friday, Macron opened another one with South African pharmaceutical company Aspen.
"We need to vaccinate as quickly as possible the maximum number of people...all over the world," Macron said. "It is our moral duty; it is also in everyone's interests."
Macron is on the second and final leg of an Africa trip that included Rwanda.
He reiterated support for waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, a move supported by U.S. President Joe Biden but opposed by Germany.
At the launch of his vaccine support initiative at Pretoria University, Macron called for regulated vaccine prices to prevent African nations being ripped off.
"Poor countries are paying much more probably than the rich countries. We are crazy," he said. "Number one fight: ... we need common pricing. This is the best way not to waste public money."
Ramaphosa said earlier this month that if wealthy nations hogged COVID-19 shots while millions in poor countries died waiting for them it would amount to vaccine apartheid.
The European Union will deliver more than 100 million doses to Africa this year, of which 30 million will come from France.
Speaking after Macron, Ramaphosa complained that "vaccines are just trickling into Africa."
"We cannot continue to wait at...the back of the queue," he said. "The longer we wait, the more lives we put at risk." (Reuters)
May
APEC could play role in boosting supply chain resilience: Report
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) could play a role in bolstering resilience of supply chains in the region disrupted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest APEC Regional Trends Analysis report launched on Thursday.
The report stated that the COVID-19 pandemic had caused significant disruptions to supply chains in the APEC region and underscored the need for governments to consider strategies for greater resilience, according to a release issued by the APEC Policy Support Unit and received here on Friday.
"Most of the concerns raised about supply chain resilience have been echoed by the business community, but more can be done to manage resilience at the policy level," Akhmad Bayhaqi, a senior analyst with the APEC Policy Support Unit, stated.
The APEC region has been producing close to 60 percent of the global manufacturing value added (MVA) over the past two decades, spread mainly across four main hubs.
When COVID-19 lockdowns affected these hubs, it led to acute supply chain disruptions. In the initial four months of 2020 alone, the APEC region witnessed a 6.3-percent decrease in exports and a 5.5-percent decrease in imports as compared to 2019.
"Businesses’ attempts to reduce supply chain costs by focusing on lean manufacturing, offshoring, and supplier consolidation seem to have increased the overall global supply chain risk and reduced flexibility," Satvinderjit Kaur Singh, an APEC Policy Support Unit researcher, stated.
"This has led to calls for greater resilience in the aftermath of COVID-19," Singh noted.
However, improving resilience is not an easy or cost-free exercise, according to the report. Global supply chains were created on the basis of business linkages that would offer the most cost-efficient outcome, so that businesses can position themselves competitively in the global markets.
The recent disruptions have brought forward the difficult conundrum for businesses in choosing between efficiency and greater resilience.
"While the concepts of relocation and reshoring were widely considered in the earlier part of the pandemic, it comes with higher production costs and hurts the long-term global outlook," Singh explained.
Meanwhile, Bayhaqi emphasized the need for investments in order to build more resilient supply chains.
"Improving just-in-time manufacturing, combined with the right technology and other strategies, such as creating cushions in the form of inventory, capacity, or lead times and designing contingency plans for possible supply chain shocks can boost resiliency," he remarked.
Hence, the report calls for governments to avoid policy interventions that may disrupt the efficient configuration of global value chains. Rather than looking at trade as the root cause of the supply chain’s vulnerability, the report suggests policymakers to look at global trade as part of the solution to achieving resilience.
"Governments can focus on promoting digitalization and supply chain visibility and by enhancing regional cooperation on trade, connectivity, and economic openness," Bayhaqi stated.
"Customs operations and cooperation can be improved by applying automation and digitization through platforms, such as the Single Window System," he noted.
Governments should leverage knowledge transfers and productivity spillovers gained from global value chains for local firms and support them in maintaining the skills and know-how that they have acquired from their supply chain networks.
Structural reforms could also play a crucial role in developing a stable and predictable regulatory environment that enables global value chains to operate and recalibrate their network structures during recovery from a pandemic.
"There is no easy fix for supply chain disruptions. The focus for economies today is to build long-lasting resilience by looking at their supply chains more holistically, harmonizing regulation, digitizing processes, and creating some level of redundancy to allow flexibility," remarked Rebecca Sta Maria, APEC Secretariat’s executive director.
"The important thing moving forward is to ensure that stronger trust in trading partners and deeper regional integration, by involving micro, small and medium enterprises, form an integral part of APEC’s strategy toward a resilient and inclusive economic recovery," Sta Maria concluded. (Antaranews)
May
Diplomats: Turkey Pushed NATO Allies Into Softening Outrage Over Belarus Plane
Written by Nur Yasmin
Turkey pushed NATO allies into watering down an official reaction to the forced landing by Belarus of a passenger plane and the detention of a dissident journalist on Sunday, two diplomats familiar with the matter told Reuters.
NATO's 30 allies released a two-paragraph statement on Wednesday condemning the forcing down of a Ryanair flight to arrest journalist Roman Protasevich but did not include any punitive steps that Baltic allies and Poland had pressed for.
The statement was also less strident than NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg's public remarks. He called the incident a "state hijacking" and "outrageous".
Ankara insisted that any mention of support for more Western sanctions on Belarus, and calls for the release of political prisoners there, would be left out of the text, the two diplomats said. Language threatening a suspension of NATO's cooperation with Belarus was also removed, they added.
Turkey's motives were not immediately clear.
Diplomats said Ankara might be trying to preserve ties with Moscow, Belarus' closest ally, and maintain economic relations with Belarus via Turkish Airlines, which has daily flights to Minsk. Another possibility could be Turkey's keenness to welcome Russian tourists this summer after the COVID-19 pandemic.
A spike in coronavirus infections last month and a flurry of foreign travel warnings have wiped out many early bookings and raised prospects of another lost tourist season for Turkey, which relies on the cash inflow to fund its heavy foreign debt.
The Turkish foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A NATO official said: "The statement by the North Atlantic Council on Belarus was agreed by all 30 Allies by consensus. We do not go into the details of discussions in the North Atlantic Council, which are confidential."
One of the diplomats said Stoltenberg had won the agreement of all allies, including Turkey, for the final text, published on NATO's website, to avoid further public divisions.
UPSET
Turkey's insistence on a watered-down text upset a number of allies, particularly Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, which had pushed for tougher wording, the diplomats said.
A third diplomat said Ankara's pushback was mainly aimed at using different wording to that of the European Union, which detailed proposals for sanctions. These included a ban on the overflight of EU airspace by Belarusian airlines, preventing Belarusian airlines from using EU airports, and calling on EU airlines to avoid Belarus.
Turkey is not an EU member, though it has been a candidate for many years.
"Many allies were very frustrated with Turkey. It was important for NATO to respond and it is not clear why Ankara should want to defend (Belarusian President Alexander) Lukashenko," said a European diplomat present at the discussion.
Turkey has become a more difficult partner in recent years for some NATO allies, clashing with France over Turkish policy in Libya, with the United States on Syria, and with Greece over energy rights in the Mediterranean.
Turkey has also bought air defense missiles from Russia, which NATO says is an adversary trying to destabilize the West.
The United States and European Union have criticized what they see as a slide towards more authoritarian rule under President Tayyip Erdogan, especially since a failed 2016 coup.
But Turkey, which has the second-largest military in NATO and is in a strategic location between Europe and the Middle East and with coasts on the Black and Mediterranean Seas, is too big and important for the EU or the United States to ignore.
Ankara has said repeatedly it supports NATO but that it has the right to pursue its own sovereign foreign policy. (Reuters)
May
Blinken: Chinese Government Continues To Undermine Hong Kong Democratic Institutions
Written by Nur Yasmin
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said the Chinese government is continuing to undermine democratic institutions in Hong Kong and called on People's Republic of China and Hong Kong authorities to release and drop charges against all people charged under the national security law.
Blinken in a statement said that measures passed by the Hong Kong Legislative Council on Thursday "severely constrain people in Hong Kong from meaningfully participating in their own governance and having their voices heard." (Reuters)
May
Philippines' Duterte To Let God Decide His Political Future
Written by Nur Yasmin
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will "leave it to God" whether or not he will run for vice president in next year's elections, his spokesman said on Thursday, responding to speculation that he might try to stay in power longer.
Duterte cannot seek re-election in 2022 under a constitution that limits presidents to a single six-year term, but he can hold another elected post, including that of vice president.
It is not uncommon in the Philippines for former presidents to run for lower office.
"He's leaving it to God, that's his answer," Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque told a regular media briefing when asked about a Duterte vice-presidential bid.
Salvador Panelo, the president's chief legal counsel, told One News channel on Tuesday that Duterte may run for vice president if there is public clamour.
Opinion polls show Duterte remains hugely popular in the Philippines, despite his controversial pro-China stance, a war on drugs that has killed thousands of people, and the public criticism over his government's handling of the country's coronavirus epidemic.
Rumors have swirled that Duterte might try to stay in power by endorsing a presidential bid by his top aide and incumbent senator, Christopher "Bong" Go, while contesting the separate vice-presidential election.
A survey of preferred president/vice president combinations for next year's election by pollster Pulse Asia in February showed the Go-Duterte ticket would come top.
Duterte's daughter, Sara, has topped a different opinion poll on preferred presidential candidates, even though she has repeatedly said she does not want the job. read more
Political analysts are skeptical about Sara's lack of interest in running and say that as president, she could protect her father from legal challenges and political vendettas once he loses his immunity of office. (Reuters)
May
UN Rights Chief Says Israeli Strikes On Gaza May Be War Crimes
Written by Nur YasminThe U.N. high commissioner for human rights said on Thursday that Israel's deadly strikes on Gaza might constitute war crimes and that Islamist group Hamas had violated international humanitarian law by firing rockets into Israel.
Michelle Bachelet said her office had verified the deaths of 270 Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, including 68 children, during violence this month. Most were killed in Hamas-controlled Gaza, where Israel fought militants for 11 days. The conflict ended with a ceasefire.
Hamas rockets killed 10 Israelis and residents.
She was addressing a special session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, held at the request of Muslim states who have asked for a U.N. commission of inquiry to investigate possible crimes and to establish command responsibility.
The resolution, presented by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Palestinian delegation to the U.N. Human Rights Council, was to be voted on later on Thursday.
The United States, Israel's closest ally, did not sign up to address the talks, where it has observer status, appearing to shun the ninth session held on Gaza since 2006.
"Regrettably, the self-professed global champions of human rights continue to shield the occupier from global accountability, and literally provide arms and ammunitions for its widely reported war crimes and crimes of apartheid against the Palestinian people," Pakistan's ambassador to the OIC, Khalil Hashmi, said, speaking on behalf of the Islamic group.
The conflict erupted after Hamas demanded Israeli forces leave the Al Aqsa mosque compound in East Jerusalem and later launched rockets towards Israel.
Bachelet said "indiscriminate" strikes from rockets launched by Hamas constituted "a clear violation of international humanitarian law".
She said Israel's strikes in Gaza, including shelling, missile strikes, and attacks from the sea, caused widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and fatalities.
"Despite Israel’s claims that many of these buildings were hosting armed groups or being used for military purposes, we have not seen evidence in this regard," Bachelet said.
"If found to be indiscriminate and disproportionate, such attacks might constitute war crimes," she added.
Meirav Eilon Shahar, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said Hamas was a "jihadist, genocidal, terrorist organization" and accused the group of using Palestinian civilians as human shields to conceal its rockets.
"Each one of these rockets constitutes a war crime," she said, in reference to what Israeli officials have said were 4,400 rockets fired into Israel, most of which they said were intercepted by Israel's missile defense shield.
Hamas says it is struggling for Palestinian rights against Israeli oppression and denies using civilians as human shields. It says Israel's actions against Gaza are part of a strategy of collective punishment.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said: "Israel, the occupation and apartheid authority, continues its crimes, its policies and laws to consolidate a colonial and apartheid system." (Reuters)
May
France's Macron Says 'Apologize' Is Not The Right Word In Rwanda Genocide
Written by Nur Yasmin
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday "apologize" was not the right word to use when referring to France's role in Rwanda's genocide, after saying earlier he recognized his country's "responsibilities" in the 1994 tragedy.
"Apologies is not the appropriate term and I cannot grant forgiveness", Macron said during a joint press conference with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame. (Reuters)
May
Thai Princess Allows New Vaccine Imports As Slow Rollout Prompts Anger
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Thai king's sister has approved coronavirus vaccine imports by an institution she sponsors, bypassing the government as it deals with surging infections and growing public anger over a slow and chaotic rollout.
The secretary-general of the Chulabhorn Royal Academy wrote on Facebook that the "alternative vaccines" would supplement the government campaign until it could meet the country's needs.
The government has long insisted it must handle all vaccine imports and next month starts its mass immunization drive, which relies heavily on AstraZeneca (AZN.L) vaccines manufactured locally by a company owned by the king.
The announcement in the official Royal Gazette took some in the military-backed government by surprise and comes as Thailand suffers its most severe COVID-19 outbreak yet, and growing unease about the vaccine plan.
So far, less than 1 million of Thailand's more than 66 million people have been fully vaccinated.
Authorities on Thursday reported 47 new coronavirus deaths, a record for a second successive day, bringing overall fatalities to 920, with 141,217 cases overall.
The decree was announced late on Tuesday and expanded the Chulabhorn Royal Academy's ability to respond to coronavirus. It was signed by Princess Chulabhorn, its chairwoman and the youngest sibling of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
"The Royal Academy will procure 'alternative vaccines' until vaccines that are produced in the country reach a capacity that can sufficiently protect against outbreaks," its secretary-general, Nithi Mahanonda, posted on Facebook.
It was not immediately clear how many vaccines the academy would import and when.
The government is expecting to have available 6 million AstraZeneca doses and 3 million doses of the Sinovac (SVA.O) vaccine next month, as it starts its main drive to inoculate 70% of its people by year-end.
Other private hospitals plan to buy 10 million doses of Moderna (MRNA.O) vaccines through a state-run company.
Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he was unaware of the royal order before it was published.
"I just saw the announcement last night," Anutin said when asked about it during a local television interview.
"But if it is a benefit to the country, we are ready."
The Chulabhorn Royal Academy, which includes a hospital and research institute, has organized a news conference for Friday about what it said was its importation of the vaccine of Sinopharm. Thailand is expected to approve the Chinese vaccine for emergency use this week.
Fuadi Pitsuwan, a scholar at the School of Public Policy at Chiang Mai University, said the royal procurement "risks subjecting the Chulabhorn Royal Academy to politicization and by extension, the princess herself."
"It's a move brought about by the incompetence of the government," he said. (Reuters)
May
Taiwan Sees 'Political Warfare' In Dispute With China Over Vaccines
Written by Nur Yasmin
Taiwan does not believe China is sincere in offering its much-needed COVID-19 vaccines and thinks it is working to prevent the island from getting shots for political reasons as infections surge, officials briefed on the matter told Reuters.
China and Taiwan have exchanged barbs as the world fights the virus, worsening ties already at a low ebb because of Taiwan's refusal to accept Chinese sovereignty and stepped-up U.S. support for Taipei.
The two have embarked on a bitter war of words about vaccines, much needed in Taiwan as the medical system comes under strain from new cases with only about 1% of the population of more than 23 million vaccinated.
Taiwan says China blocked it from getting vaccines produced by Germany's BioNTech (22UAy.DE), while China says it is happy to send a supply of that vaccine via its Chinese sales agent, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co Ltd (600196.SS).
But Taiwan will not take the vaccines from Fosun, saying there is a lack of transparency and that China refuses to provide relevant information.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office, which has repeatedly said its vaccine offer is sincere and Taiwan should not put up political roadblocks, said in a statement to Reuters that Taiwan's allegation it was blocking a BioNTech deal was "nonsense".
A senior Taiwan official familiar with the situation told Reuters that China had not used an existing channel to discuss medical issues, which has been used to exchange information on COVID cases, to address the vaccine question.
Instead, he said, China was launching "political warfare" to "split and weaken" Taiwan, without a real intention to offer the vaccines.
"They are shouting words like they really mean it but they won't give it to you," he said.
"There are certain procedures in Taiwan to import vaccines, and if their intention is real, they know what to do."
The government had for months chosen not to publicize what it sees as Chinese intervention in the BioNTech case but had reached a point where it felt it had to, he added.
"Vaccines are not politics. But mainland China knows the best in the world how to politicize vaccines."
A security official looking into Chinese activity in Taiwan told Reuters that China was "making a lot of effort" to prevent Taiwan from getting vaccines.
"It's similar to dollar diplomacy. Just that now dollars are replaced by vaccines," he added, referring to accusations the two sides exchange over buying diplomatic support with loans and other inducements.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office repeated China's stance that Taiwan had gone against commercial principles in seeking to bypass Fosun.
"They clearly knew they were trying to keep going despite the task being impossible," it said.
'LIAR'
Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Centre said in a statement to Reuters that information about vaccines from Fosun in a state media report where the offer was made was "unclear" and there was no way to know if the shots complied with Taiwan's regulations.
Fosun has not responded to requests for comment.
Taiwan's government is also facing pressure at home from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party to accept the Fosun vaccines.
At a news conference on Thursday, senior KMT official Cheng Li-wun called President Tsai Ing-wen a "vaccine liar" and held up a sign saying people would die without vaccines.
Cheng questioned why the government had refused to purchase vaccines from Fosun, saying their shots were "100%" BioNTech vaccines.
"Everyone has purchased goods from a distributor before," she said, adding that Tsai was stuck on a "wall of ideology" and her rejection of China's offer was to save face.
Adding to Taiwan's anger, this week it failed again in its bid to attend the WHO's decision-making World Health Assembly as an observer, following objections from Beijing and its allies.
Meanwhile, China's almost daily incursions into the southwestern corner of Taiwan's air defense zone have continued.
On Tuesday, Hu Xijin, editor of China's influential Global Times newspaper, said that while there were humanitarian considerations on vaccines, Beijing still had a bottom line.
"Military aircraft surrounding Taiwan and other pressure will continue," he said. (Reuters)
May
U.N. Aid Chief Warns: Don't Cut Syria Cross-Border 'Lifeline'
Written by Nur Yasmin
United Nations aid chief Mark Lowcock appealed to the Security Council on Wednesday not to cut a cross-border aid "lifeline" to some 3 million Syrians in the country's north as veto-power Russia questioned the importance of the long-running operation.
"We want to see both more cross-line and more cross-border assistance. The cross-border operation – which is a lifeline for more than 3 million people – cannot be substituted," Lowcock told the council. "We look to this council to ensure that that lifeline is not severed."
The 15-member Security Council first authorized a cross-border aid operation into Syria in 2014 at four points. Last year, it reduced that access to one crossing point from Turkey due to opposition from Russia and China over renewing all four.
Another showdown is likely over the renewal of the mandate for the operation, which expires on July 10. A resolution to extend council approval needs nine votes in favor and no veto from any of the five permanent members Russia, China, the United States, France and Britain.
Several council members are pushing to increase the number of cross-border aid access points.
"If we don't, people will die. It is that simple," deputy U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Mills told the council on Wednesday. "One crossing point alone cannot meet the mass needs of the Syrian people."
Russia's deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy accused his Western counterparts of disregarding the importance of cross-line aid deliveries from Damascus and "making it obvious that they do not intend to take any steps that would create problems for the fighters holed up in Idlib.
"This hypocritical presentation of the issue is something that we cannot agree with. We are obviously going to have to take into consideration when taking a decision on extending the cross-border mechanism," he told the council.
In the past decade, the council has been divided over how to handle Syria, with Syrian ally Russia and China pitted against Western members. Russia has vetoed 16 resolutions related to Syria and was backed by China for many of those votes. (Reuters)