Sinovac urged Bolsonaro government to stop criticizing China to ensure vaccine contract fulfilment

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Butantan Institute has received less active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) than agreed with the Asian pharmaceutical company, which in a meeting with diplomats complained about Brazil’s stance.

Sinovac laboratory executives urged the government of Jair Bolsonaro to stop criticizing China to ensure compliance with contracts for coronavirus vaccines, according to Brazilian diplomats.

The cables sent by the Brazilian Embassy in Beijing, submitted to the Parliamentary Investigation Committee (CPI) on the government’s management of the pandemic, reported on a meeting between Brazilian diplomats and top officials of the Sinovac laboratory, who voiced their rejection of the president’s statements.

Sinovac has signed an agreement with Brazil’s Butantan Institute for the local production of the CoronaVac. However, in recent weeks the agreed schedule for the API shipment, critical for the local production of doses, was not met, as only 75% of the agreed amounts were received.

At the meeting held on May 19 at the company’s headquarters, according to the diplomatic report, Sinovac’s CEO Yin Weidong said that a change in the government’s position would result in a “more fluid” relationship.

To concerns about the shortfall, Yan’s reply was political. “It would be convenient, for the process, for the Brazilian government to seek ‘to develop a more fluid and positive relationship with the Chinese government’,” he said, according to diplomats.

In the conversation, he also reportedly highlighted Indonesia and Chile as examples of “positive reflections of good relations” with Beijing. In Chile, one of the countries with the best vaccination rates in the region, Sinovac accounts for 90% of the doses administered.

According to the document, Yin “did not categorically state that there would be direct government interference in the allocation of inputs, but stressed the significance of a good dialogue between Brasilia and Beijing,” since it was not only a commercial issue.

Therefore, he suggested the possibility of a political statement in support of exports or even preferential treatment. “It could be useful for the agreement between the companies to be seen as a demand from the Brazilian government,” he added, according to the document, and also said that a statement from Brasilia on the expectation of a shipment of inputs would be helpful.

The meeting was attended by the Brazilian ambassador in Beijing, Paulo Estivallet, who assured he would deliver the message to the Brazilian government.

Two weeks before the meeting, Jair Bolsonaro made statements that angered China. According to him, the novel coronavirus would be part of chemical warfare that would benefit Xi Jinping’s regime.

“It is a new virus, it is unknown if it was born in a laboratory or by some human who ingested an inappropriate animal. But it is there. The military knows that it is chemical, bacteriological and radiological warfare. Are we not facing a new war?” he said at an official event. And then he targeted the Asian giant, albeit not naming it: “Which country has the highest GDP growth? I’m not going to tell you.”

After the statement, the director of the Butantan Institute said that “all comments in this respect have repercussions” and recalled previous inconveniences due to political statements.

Later, on Twitter, the institute said that “it is bureaucratic, political and diplomatic obstacles, and not “contractual issues with the Butantan,” that have delayed the shipment of APIs from China to Brazil for the production of the CoronaVac.” “The losers are the Brazilians, who urgently need the vaccine,” they lamented.

The disclosure of the diplomatic document contradicts the testimony of Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga and ex-Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo, who argued before Congress that Bolsonaro’s comments had no impact on vaccine negotiations and supply.

Source: Infobae