
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on China to share information about the new outbreak of COVID-19 that the country is experiencing, adding that the increase in the number of cases has affected the world. Blinken again said that the US is ready to provide US vaccines to China.
"It is important for all countries, including China, to focus on vaccinating their citizens, making testing and treatment accessible, and most importantly, sharing information with the world about the problems they are facing," Blinken said during a press conference on December 22.
"It has implications not just for China, but for the whole world," Blinken said.
He said that China has not asked for help. Beijing has depended on domestically produced vaccines, which many international experts have argued are less effective than US-made vaccines.
"We are prepared to help anyone who needs help," said Blinken.
Blinken, who plans to visit Beijing in early 2023 as tensions between the two countries begin to ease, said the U.S. has both a humanitarian interest and a vested interest in containing the COVID outbreak in China.
"Every time the virus spreads or moves around the world, there is a chance that a new variant will develop, a variant that spreads further and comes to hit us and other countries," he said.
"You've seen it have clear impacts on the global economy," Blinken said, referring to the COVID-19 policies of China, the world's second-largest economy.
China, where COVID-19 was first detected three years ago, has followed a tough policy against the virus. But after several protests this month, Beijing changed its policy on the coronavirus.