OPINION / VIEWPOINT
Why China's domestically produced vaccines gain more trust
Published: Dec 14, 2020 02:33 PM

A staff member displays samples of the COVID-19 inactivated vaccine at Sinovac Biotech Ltd., in Beijing on March 16. Photo: Xinhua

If you were to be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine today, which of the two options would you choose? The vaccine made in China, or the one by the US-based Pfizer?

Personally, I would take the domestically produced vaccines. It's not because of patriotism. I really think the China-produced vaccines are less risky and more reliable. Living through this global pandemic fight, I have come to a better understanding of China's responsible attitude in the public health sector. By contrast, the reliability of US public health products has been greatly reduced in my heart.  

Over the past few years, there have been some scandals involving China's domestically produced food and drugs, including vaccines. This has increased Chinese people's obsession with foreign products. The quality of supervision in Western countries, especially the US, has almost been deified. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented competition about how China and Western countries, especially the US, perform their healthcare and governance duties. The US has lost this race, which will definitely erode Chinese people's overall trust of America in the future. 

COVID-19 vaccines can also be compared with each other. I have more trust in China's vaccines. There are probably a large number of Chinese people who share my thinking on this topic. Maybe this will become a dramatic turning point in history.  

The author is editor-in-chief of the Global Times. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn