China ready to discuss COVID-19 vaccine patents within WTO: Foreign Ministry

Beijing: China is prepared to discuss sharing patents for the coronavirus vaccines within the World Trade Organization (WTO), Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday.
Washington has already declared that it would be in favor of suspending intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines. The US said that it would actively engage in talks on this matter within the WTO. The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations said it was disappointed with this decision. The federation believes that the step would not help boost vaccine production and would not lead to any practical solutions.
“China is ready to have a constructive dialogue within the WTO and to achieve a positive and fair solution,” the spokesperson told a briefing, when asked if China was ready to give up the rights to its vaccines.