China joins COVAX, UN-backed global COVID-19 vaccine facility

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China has officially signed an agreement to join the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility, a global COVID-19 vaccine project to ensure poorer countries have access to life-saving vaccines. China is the biggest economy to back the initiative so far. Neither the United States nor Russia has signed up. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement posted to Twitter that China’s decision was “an important step to uphold the concept of a shared community of health for all and to honour its commitment to turn COVID-19 vaccines into a global good”. The COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility (COVAX) is...