Name: Antony Blinken on the global challenges facing America I FT
Uploaded: 2021-05-15T12:54:59.000Z
Duration: 24 min 1 s
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Antony Blinken, good to see you and thanks

for being with us at The Global Boardroom.

The US wants to lead the global response to Covid-19.

But at the same time there have been criticism that one,

Two, there is an effective ban on exports

of some raw materials that are needed for vaccines production

And there's also been criticism of Washington's response

to the horrendous situation right now in India,

where China, Russia, others, have really been ahead at least

So, my question to you is are you leading in the way

And is China winning in vaccine diplomacy?

And I think we're going to be leading increasingly

effectively because let's step back for one second

President Biden put us back into the World Health Organization,

And of course we are now the leading contributor

in the world to COVAX, the facility that makes vaccines

available particularly to low and middle income countries.

Another $2bn between now and the end of 2022 as other countries

And, of course, that's not as obvious in some ways

But it is a critical vehicle for making available vaccines.

There have been some challenges with COVAX.

And, of course, India had been a primary supplier

and for obvious reasons that's been pulled back.

closely with partners in the so-called quad, with Australia,

with Japan, and India, to find other ways

to increase vaccine production and access over time.

We made some initial contributions, loans,

to our closest land neighbours, Canada and Mexico.

And now that our population has full access to vaccines,

we are in a place where with some of the vaccines that we've

contracted for, including the AstraZeneca

we'll be able to move out and make those available.

We share this conviction, no one in the world

will be fully safe until, in effect, everyone is.

And as long as the virus is replicating somewhere

And as long as it's mutating it could come back to bite anyone,

So, you are starting to lean into this now.

But would it have made sense, months ago, for the US

and for other countries, including the UK,

to say we're going to vaccinate our populations, all of those

as much as possible, as quickly as possible,

Well, you know, I think everyone has an obligation

But beyond that, just as it's necessary for our own security

and well-being, to see the rest of the world vaccinated,

so is it important for the security and well-being

of the rest of the world to see Americans vaccinated.

Now, we're in a position where I believe we can.

that we can ramp up production with other countries

We also don't know what some of the contingencies

Are people going to need booster shots at some point?

As younger people are able to get the vaccine,

This has touched Americans profoundly because we have,

as does the UK, such deep connections to India,

to the Indian people, and we've seen the images,

We've made a very significant effort, very quickly,

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Antony Blinken on the global challenges facing America I FT

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