“Again, it’s not something that we see at this point in time as a threat to stability, or regime change or anything like that,” he said, “how it develops it’s for Xi’s position.” will be important.”
China has not approved any foreign COVID vaccines, which have been produced domestically, which some studies have suggested are not as effective as some foreign vaccines. According to experts, this means that easing virus containment measures could come with great risks.
The White House said earlier this week that China had not asked the US for the vaccine.
A US official told Reuters there was “currently no expectation” that China would approve Western vaccines.
The official said, “It seems far-fetched that China will beat Western vaccines at this point. It is a matter of national pride, and they will have a lot to swallow if they go down this path.”
Haines also said North Korea believed China was less likely to hold it accountable for Pyongyang’s “extraordinary” weapons tests this year.
Amid a record year of missile tests, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said last week that his country intended to have the world’s most powerful nuclear power.