House Speaker: delay in Chinese vaccine inputs “not political”

This Wednesday, House Speaker Rodrigo Maia was interviewed on TV news channel Globo News to talk about his meeting with Yang Wanming, the Chinese ambassador to Brazil, concerning Brazil’s desire to import coronavirus vaccine inputs from China. The meeting took place amid a diplomatic buzz, which suggested that the Bolsonaro government’s anti-China stances served as an impediment to the purchase. 

According to Mr. Maia, the meeting was considered to be “positive” and “productive” and “political issues did not enter the negotiation.” The House Speaker said that no member of the federal government had contacted Chinese authorities to discuss the import and criticized the Executive branch’s “very poor” administration during the pandemic. “The fact that people have been suggesting the delay in sending vaccine inputs is for political reasons already shows the government’s mistakes,” he said. 

Mr. Maia mentioned that the good relationship between São Paulo Governor João Doria and Beijing has been important in negotiations, reaffirming that China knows the importance of clear bilateral relations. The House Speaker also mentioned the efforts of São Paulo’s Butantan Biological Institute and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation medical research institute for kickstarting vaccination in Brazil. 

Doria set to visit China to negotiate vaccine inputs

With negotiations hitting snag after snag, São Paulo Governor João Doria is already planning a trip to China to take the lead in talks with Beijing. This was announced on Wednesday morning by São Paulo Health Secretary Jean Gorinchteyn and confirmed by The Brazilian Report this afternoon.

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