China to Help With Indonesian Vaccine Hub That Will ‘Democratize’ Access to Life-Saving Jabs, Chamber Says

By Kelly Wang, Xu Heqian and Chen Lixiong

President Xi Jinping held talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on July 26 in Beijing. Photo: Liu Weibing/Xinhua

China’s assistance in establishing a regional vaccine center in Indonesia as well as cooperating on research will help ensure that people in the poorest countries can have the same access to life-saving inoculations for diseases including Covid-19 as those in rich nations, according to the head of the Southeast Asian nation’s leading chamber of commerce.

The center is an important part of Indonesia’s long-term goal and it will be for developing vaccines not just for Covid-19 but also tuberculosis and tropical diseases, said Arsjad Rasjid, chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in an exclusive interview with Caixin.