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China in ‘close talk’ with Dhaka over Covid vaccine


Published : 12 Feb 2021 10:10 PM | Updated : 13 Feb 2021 01:43 AM

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming on Friday said that Beijing was in “close discussion” with the Bangladesh government over vaccine assistance.

“China just announced to provide 10 million Covid vaccines to developing countries through the COVAX initiative,” he said in a Chinese New Year message.

“Today is the Chinese New Year, the most important holiday in China. And this year marks the year of the ox or cow. So happy New Year!,” he said. 

“Mind you, when I say “new”, I actually mean “niu”, the Chinese word for ox or cow, which happens to have the same pronunciation as the English word “new”.

“Ox or cow is generally perceived as an animal that’s hard working, tough and reliable, which are some very useful traits in a prolonged pandemic.

“And here is an interesting fact: the world’s first vaccine was made with virus from cows,” he said. 

“Then in this year of the cow, vaccines again come to the rescue. Maybe this little coincidence foretells a good year with less coronavirus and more prosperity.” 

“Today, the Chinese New Year is widely celebrated around the world. The charm of this ancient festival transcends borders and races. So join us to welcome a joyful “niu” year,” the ambassador said in his message.

Bangladesh launched a countrywide vaccination drive on Feb 7 with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India.