CHINA / SOCIETY
By Cui Fandi and Leng Shumei Published: Apr 03, 2021 10:10 PM
A box of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine is seen in Budapest, Hungary, Feb. 28, 2021. Photo:Xinhua
China National Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (Sinopharm) announced on Saturday that the COVID-19 vaccine produced by its Beijing institute has been issued a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certificate by Hungarian authorities, marking the first for a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine receiving such a certificate from an EU country and a step forward for Chinese vaccines to become a global public goods.
Vaccine experts pointed out that the issuance of this certificate will greatly enhance the competitiveness of China-produced vaccines in Europe and the confidence of small European countries in Chinese vaccines given the uneven distribution of vaccines in Europe.