Erick Thohir Trusts Chinese Companies Again To Collaborate On The Availability Of The COVID-19 Vaccine

JAKARTA - Indonesia is back in international cooperation with companies from China to ensure the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine. This cooperation is also to commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations with the Bamboo Curtain country.

Chairperson of the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (KPCPEN) Erick Thohir together with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi held a bilateral meeting with State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (PRC) Wang Yi in Sanya, Hainan on Thursday, August 20 .

The meeting between Erick, Retno and Wang Yi also involved a number of pharmaceutical companies from China. This is because strengthening cooperation in the vaccine sector is the main agenda of the meeting.

Erick said this meeting was a follow-up meeting of the online meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the end of July. In addition, President Joko Widodo also sent the two of them to follow up on several bilateral cooperation, including cooperation in the field of vaccines and other economic cooperation with China.

This cooperation, said Erick, was part of the 70th anniversary of Indonesia-China diplomatic relations. In commemoration, the two countries are committed to increasing cooperation in the field of vaccines.

"Alhamdulillah, we held a meeting and negotiations. The discussion was very positive. Sinovac has even signed a knowledge transfer cooperation with Bio Farma," he said, in a written statement received by VOI, Friday, August 21.

Erick explained that the distribution of vaccine raw materials from Sinovac will begin in November. This cooperation, he said, was not just an economic transaction, but also a transfer of technology and knowledge as signed between Sinovac and Bio Farma.

Furthermore, Erick said, the meeting discussed the importance of adequate, timely, safe and affordable vaccines. He saw that there was a strong commitment from a number of Chinese pharmaceutical industries to collaborate on vaccines with Indonesia.

Apart from the meeting with Sinovac, Indonesia is also exploring cooperation with other Chinese pharmaceutical companies, namely CanSino Biologics and Sinopharm.

"We in the Committee enlarge and make various efforts to reduce the spread of the virus while continuing to build national independence through the development of the Red and White vaccine and healing therapy. While waiting for the Red and White vaccine, vaccines from other countries are still needed to protect the Indonesian people so that health is restored, the economy is revived , "he said.

Not only that, said Erick, Indonesia also continues to be open and explore other international collaborations to ensure and accelerate safe and effective availability in Indonesia.

For your information, international cooperation in the field of vaccines is one of the various government efforts in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, including conducting 3T (test, trace, treat), encouraging behavior change, preparing national independence through the development of red and white vaccines, and healing therapy, to prepare production and distribution capacity in the country for mass production and vaccination.