Chinese government will support its pharmaceutical companies to produce vaccines against COVID-19 in Ecuador

The Chinese ambassador to Ecuador, Chen Gouyou, gave a press conference to highlight the cooperation between both countries.

The Chinese ambassador in Quito, Chen Gouyou, announced yesterday that his Government will encourage and support pharmaceutical companies in his country to cooperate with Ecuadorian companies andjointly produce vaccines against COVID-19 in Ecuadorfor the Andean region.

In a press conference that lasted more than an hour and a half, and with simultaneous translation, the ambassador highlighted thepositive signals sent by President Guillermo Lassoto deepen relations with China. He mentioned several messages and conversations between Lasso and leader Xi Jinping, especially the one they had last Monday.

Chen talked about the anti-epidemic cooperation that China has provided to various countries. In the case of Ecuador, he assured that his Government will support this “joint production.” “It doesn't matter if it's CanSino,Sinovac o Sinopharm; If pharmaceutical companies have the desire to deepen this type of cooperation, the Government will provide support,” he said.

He highlighted that the Chinese Government's contribution, which amounts to 13.7 million vaccines, was “vital” for President Lasso to achieve his vaccination plan, and announced that an additional 5 million vaccines have been committed. He highlighted the strategic cooperation between China and Ecuador with a view to overcome ideology. The alliance with China has generated employment and development, he said.

He revealed that another of the points discussed in the conversation was the topic ofEcuador's external debt with China, but did not mention amounts. He noted that the financial institutions of both countries would soon meet to “reach a consensus.” President Lasso, he indicated, has asked to improve the debt structure to reach a solution, and President Xi “has given an active response to the proposals... The Chinese side attaches great importance to deepening financial cooperation and improving the debt structure. the debt.”

During his speech, the diplomat also highlighted President Lasso's openness to building a more favorable environment for companies, safeguarding security and their legitimate rights, including Chinese companies. For this reason, he highlighted the importance ofsign a free trade agreement: “China wants to work in the same direction with Ecuador to sign a high-quality free trade agreement as soon as possible to promote investment and trade.”

Finally, he reiterated China's willingness torespect fishing legislationin international waters and non-interference in the exclusive economic zone of Galapagos. He insisted on the Chinese policy of zero tolerance in this regard, and the three-month moratorium, between September and November, in the area west of the islands for the renewal of resources. He described the ships' monitoring system as rigorous, since they must report their position every hour.