China in vaccine talks with Pfizer ahead of reopening international borders: Top 5 developments

To gear up vaccination rate amidst a rapid surge in Covid-19 infections and deaths, Chinese medical products regulator - the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) is in talks with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer since late last month, Reuters reported.

Chinese Hospitals and crematoriums have been overwhelmed ever since the government abandoned its zero-Covid policy.

Here are the top 5 developments so far:

1. In a worrisome trend, young Chinese citizens are self-infecting themselves with Covid even as the country is struggling to save the lives of elderly people, BBC reported. Meanwhile, more countries are demanding visitors from China for Covid tests in view of the rise in global cases.

2. Several media reports including one from the World Health Organisation have claimed that China is underreporting the actual Covid death toll. Sources informed Reuters that the country is in talks with Pfizer to manufacture and distribute a generic version of the Covid-19 antiviral drug Paxlovid in China. Beijing is gearing up to finalise licensing before the Lunar New Year (January 22), the sources informed.

3. According to various reports, young Chinese people are deliberately infecting themselves with Covid so that they do not have to change their holiday plans. Chinese singer and songwriter Jane Zhang Liangyin infected herself with the virus to protect herself from infection as she has a concert on New Year’s Eve, South China Morning Post reported.

4. Recently, China's foreign ministry said travel entry restrictions imposed by some countries were "simply unreasonable" and "lacked scientific basis.” The US, UK, Japan, and India are among the nations that have imposed strict measures on Chinese travellers.

5. As per the transport ministry, international ships no longer need approval in advance to change crews when docked in China. Last month, China decided to drop quarantine requirements for international travellers starting January 8. This came as a major step towards relaxation of its Zero Covid policy as the country will reopen its international borders that have been shut for nearly three years.

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