China, US health officials agree on more cooperation after rare talks
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China says it is willing to increase policy communication and coordination with the United States.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BEIJING – Chinese and US health officials have agreed to strengthen communication, cooperation and coordination on global health affairs, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported late on Sept 30, following rare talks in Washington.
China is willing to increase policy communication and coordination with the United States and collaborate in medical issues, including cancer prevention and treatment, said Mr Cao Xuetao, deputy head of the National Health Commission, after the recent talks.
Strengthening health cooperation between China and the US benefits both nations, Mr Cao was cited as saying following the first ministerial-level visit by China’s health authorities to the US since 2017.
China and the US have stepped up communication across many aspects of their relationship in efforts to stabilise ties, which plunged to a historic low during the recent pandemic.
At the height of Covid-19, the US military launched a secret campaign to create doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and other life-saving aid supplied by China in the Philippines, according to a Reuters investigative report earlier in 2024.
During their recent talks in Washington, US and Chinese health officials reviewed their long-standing partnership, recognised the value of China-US medical exchanges and cooperation, and expressed a willingness to pursue further exchanges, according to Xinhua news agency.
In 2024, top officials from both sides have increased engagement in areas from their economies and climate change to their militaries and the fentanyl crisis in the US, even as the two countries clashed over Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory, Beijing’s relationship with Moscow, as well as China’s maritime disputes in the South China Sea with neighbouring countries.
In September, the Biden administration locked in steep tariff hikes on Chinese imports, including a 100 per cent duty on electric vehicles, triggering protests from Beijing. REUTERS
