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The rhythmic clatter of wheels on rail tracks echoed the fading tinkle of camel bells, heralding a renaissance of the ancient and timeless Silk Road, invigorated by blossoming cooperation between China and Central Asian countries.

With the second China-Central Asia Summit having concluded in Astana, Kazakhstan earlier this week, both sides are seizing fresh opportunities for trade and economic cooperation, vowing to uphold multilateralism, consolidate the multilateral trading system, and deepen cooperation in key areas such as agriculture and energy.

Since the inaugural summit held two years ago in Xi'an, a historic city in northwest China, cooperation between China and Central Asia has drawn these land-linked economies closer to each other, yielding mutually beneficial outcomes across various sectors.

ENHANCED CONNECTIVITY

Xi'an, once a bustling gateway to the Silk Road, is witnessing the revival of this ancient trade route, with a recently launched international tourist train service making exchanges between China and Kazakhstan easier.

As a hallmark achievement of the 2023 summit, this 3,000-kilometer journey connects Xi'an in Shaanxi Province with Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan. Traversing snow-capped mountains and vast grasslands, what makes this train route truly special is the opportunities it provides for cultural and artistic exchanges between the two countries. Such cultural interactions can, notably, also translate into valuable business opportunities.

During the train's maiden journey in 2025, Yuan Li, head of a Xi'an-based home furnishings company, immersed herself in Central Asian culture. She drew design inspiration from Kazakh embroidery to enrich her business options, saying that her company would invite artisans from both China and Kazakhstan to co-design a Silk Road-themed home collection.

This train route is one of many vivid examples of enhanced regional connectivity between China and Central Asian countries. In December 2024, the commencement ceremony of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project was held in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan. The railway is a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, serving as a strategic link between China and Central Asia.

Once completed, the railway will become a strategic corridor benefiting all the three countries and their peoples, contributing to regional economic and social development and playing a significant role in promoting infrastructure connectivity, economic and trade exchanges, and high-quality development of the Belt and Road.

On a broader scale, cooperation between China and Central Asia is bringing Asia and Europe closer together and at a faster pace, thanks to the China-Europe freight train service. This train service passes through cities like Almaty and Tashkent, transforming them into bustling transit hubs. It now reaches 229 cities in 26 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries.

Central Asia serves as a hub connecting China with the Eurasian continent, and cooperation between China and Central Asian countries has promoted connectivity in infrastructure, energy and trade, said Xu Xiaotian, a researcher with Heilongjiang University in northeast China. "Through economic integration, security collaboration and cultural exchanges, China and Central Asian nations are establishing a tighter network of cooperation," Xu said.

"China's cooperation with Central Asian countries contributes to mutual development and strengthens ties in science, education, culture and socio-economic fields, which are crucial for the stability, development, well-being and prosperity of the entire region," said Rashid Yusupov, director of the Center for Belt and Road Studies of Kyrgyz State University.

SHARED PROSPERITY

In March, a shipment of 16,000 apple seedlings from the city of Weinan, Shaanxi Province, entered Tajikistan through the Karasu Port in northwest China's Xinjiang. This marked the province's first-ever export of apple saplings to Tajikistan. Historically, Central Asia is one of the regions from which apples migrated to China.

According to Liu Zhanyuan, an official with Xi'an customs, these saplings will be planted in an apple orchard commemorating the friendship between China and Tajikistan. The orchard is a project to implement the outcomes of the 2023 China-Central Asia Summit.

"By sharing advanced apple cultivation techniques and management expertise with Tajikistan, the project will help local farmers improve apple yields and quality," Liu added.

The apple orchard project exemplifies the deepening ties between China and Central Asia, where cooperation across various sectors is translating into tangible economic benefits.

According to China's General Administration of Customs, China-Central Asia trade reached 94.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, marking an increase of 5.4 billion year on year. In the first four months of this year, bilateral trade hit 173.05 billion yuan (about 24.13 billion U.S. dollars), a 37.3-percent surge compared to the same period last year.

China and Central Asian countries have not only seen a significant increase in trade value but also expanded their economic cooperation into various sectors -- creating a comprehensive and multifaceted mutually beneficial economic relationship, Xu said.

Looking ahead to future cooperation between China and Central Asia, Li Ziguo, an expert with the China Institute of International Studies, said that driven by a new wave of technological revolution, digital economy and e-commerce are emerging as new growth areas for bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Moving forward, a series of big data cooperation projects will provide a more efficient and stable network environment for information exchange and resource sharing between China and Central Asian countries, thereby further unlocking digital dividends in areas such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and e-commerce, Li added. 

In response to a media inquiry regarding the draft UN Security Council resolution reportedly put forward by Russia, China, and Pakistan on the situation in Iran, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday that the US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities constitutes a serious violation of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and has further intensified tensions in the Middle East. He stressed that the Security Council can't remain inactive in the face of such developments.

Guo noted that the draft resolution submitted by China, Russia, and Pakistan calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, the protection of civilians, compliance with international law, and the initiation of dialogue and negotiations, adding that the proposal represents a voice of justice and reflects the strong will of the international community. 

"China hopes all Security Council members will support the draft and work together to ensure that the Council fulfills its responsibility in maintaining international peace and security," said Guo.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Wednesday local time that China is "not behind" the US in artificial intelligence, and called the race in AI development a "long-term, infinite race," US media reported.

Speaking to reporters at a tech conference in Washington, DC, Huang noted China may currently be "right behind" the US for now, but emphasized it's a narrow gap, according to CNBC. 

"We are very close," Huang stated. "Remember, this is a long-term, infinite race."

His remarks came against the backdrop of the restrictions from the US government on shipments of Nvidia's H20 chips to China without a license. 

On April 15, the US Commerce Department announced new export licensing requirements for Nvidia's H20, AMD's MI308 AI chips, and their equivalents destined for China.

Nvidia stated that the latest curbs could cost the company $5.5 billion, according to CNBC. 

Speaking about Chinese tech company Huawei, Huang said that "They're incredible in computing and network technology, all these essential capabilities to advance AI."

"They have made enormous progress in the last several years," Huang added. 

Huang said on the same day he would like the Trump administration to change the regulations related to exporting AI technology from the US for businesses to better capitalize on future opportunities, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.

Huang recently wrapped up his second visit to Beijing in three months.

During his visit to Beijing on April 17, Huang stated that the US government's tightening of chip export controls has already had a significant impact on Nvidia's business. He was received by Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

With permission from Chinese side, the Philippines dispatched one civilian vessel on Friday to deliver daily necessities to its war ship that had illegally run aground on Ren'ai Jiao. The Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) questioned, verified the Philippine vessel and supervised the entire process, said the China Coast Guard spokesperson Liu Dejun, according to the CCG Wechat account on Tuesday. 

Liu expressed the hope that the Philippines will honor its commitments and work together with China to jointly manage the maritime situation. The CCG will continue to carry out law enforcement activities in accordance with the law, safeguarding rights and conducting patrols in the Nansha Qundao, including Ren'ai Jiao, and their adjacent waters.

The Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands), which include the Ren'ai Jiao, have always been China's territory.

In May 1999, the Philippines "grounded" the tank-landing ship BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57) at Ren'ai Jiao. Despite Manila's repeated promise to tow it away, the ship has remained there for over 25 years, Xinhua said.

The attempt of US Embassy in Singapore chargé d'affaires Casey Mace to draw a parallel between China's legitimate claims in the South China Sea and the shared corridors of Singapore's Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat, by posting a video on multiple social media platforms, sparked widespread criticism and ridicule from netizens. 

The 90-second video is roughly divided into two parts. The first half features footage of Singapore's HDB flats, accompanied by a voiceover stating, "Our homes are our sanctuaries. And when we live together, it's important to respect each other's space and our common space."

The narrative then shifts, asking viewers to "imagine coming home one day and to find this"—followed by images of cluttered public corridors and screenshots of news reports about disputes over shared spaces. 

The video continues, "A neighbour has decided that the space in front of your door is theirs," before abruptly posing the rhetorical question, "Does this remind you of anything else?"

Then the video abruptly shifts tone and enters its main theme, as the screen displays a series of screenshots from foreign media reports hyping up tensions in the South China Sea. The video references the so-called South China Sea arbitration ruling and draws a direct comparison between China's legitimate and lawful claims in the region and a neighbor occupying shared corridor space in public housing.

Many online users slammed the analogy as a forced and flawed attempt to interfere in regional affairs and misrepresent China's position.

"Don't bring your own politics/rivalry with China to Singapore," a netizen said in commenting on the video posted on Instagram. 

"Singapore is not your pawn," another netizen said. 

"The US believes in international law? LOL" a netizen on Facebook said. 

The US diplomat also referred to the illegal South China Sea arbitration in 2016 with the video. 

China is committed to working with the countries concerned to appropriately address sea-related differences through dialogue and consultation on the basis of respect for historical facts and international law, Charge d'affaires Ambassador Geng Shuang said at the UN Security Council open debate on maritime security on Tuesday. 

The so-called award in the South China Sea arbitration is illegal and invalid, and China does not accept or recognize it, Geng said. 

Geng also noted that the US under the banner of freedom of navigation, has frequently sent its military vessels to the South China Sea to flex its muscles and openly stir up confrontation between regional countries. The US itself is the biggest threat to the peace and stability of the South China Sea, the Chinese diplomat said. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday visited the New Development Bank in Shanghai and met with Dilma Rousseff, president of the institution.

Rousseff led the bank's four vice presidents and other employees to welcome Xi when he arrived.

Xi congratulated Rousseff on her reelection as president of the New Development Bank, and noted that the bank is the world's first multilateral development institution established and led by emerging markets and developing countries.

Xi called the bank "a pioneering initiative for the unity and self-improvement of the Global South," and said that it conforms to the historical trend of reforming and improving global governance.

He stressed that broader BRICS cooperation has entered a stage of high-quality development, and that the bank is set to embark on its second golden decade of high-quality development.

Xi called on the bank to consider the development needs of the Global South, and to provide more high-quality, low-cost and sustainable infrastructure financing.

The bank needs to improve its management and operations, implement more technology and green finance projects, and help developing countries bridge the digital divide and accelerate green and low-carbon transformation, Xi said.

In discussions on the reform of international financial architecture, the bank should amplify the voice of the Global South, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the Global South, and support the countries of the Global South in their pursuit of modernization, he said.

He noted that as the bank's host country, China will always support the operations and development of the New Development Bank. China is willing to strengthen project cooperation with the bank and focus on green, innovative and sustainable development to achieve more results, he added.

China is also willing to share its development experience through the bank with other member countries, and stands ready to provide more international public goods, Xi said.

In response to media reports that said Google Maps now shows the label "West Philippine Sea," whereas it previously displayed "South China Sea," the Chinese Embassy to the Philippines on Wednesday responded that such change does not conform to international practices and is not conducive to the efforts of international geographical names standardization. It will in no way affect China's sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. 

The embassy has lodged solemn representations with the relevant parties, urging them to respect international practices and take measures to correct the error.

AFP reported on Monday that a Google Maps scan on Monday of the body of water directly west of the Philippines now shows a name once invisible to most users -- the West Philippine Sea. 

The name South China Sea remains visible to the north and west of the area newly identified as the West Philippine Sea, AFP reported.

For a long time, the South China Sea, as a commonly used geographical entity name internationally, has long been widely recognized and accepted by the international community, including the United Nations. It is also reflected in the legal documents of professional institutions such as the International Maritime Organization, said a spokesperson from the Chinese embassy.

When asked to comment on Google Maps label change, Lin Jian, spokesperson from Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that "South China Sea" is the geographic name that has long been used, recognized and accepted by the international community, including countries worldwide and international organizations such as the UN.

China will unveil the international payload cooperation list for the country's Chang'e-8 lunar probe mission at this year's Space Day of China, with 15 projects selected from the European Space Agency (ESA), Pakistan, Thailand, as well as other countries, regions and international organizations, covering cutting-edge fields like lunar robots and rovers, Liu Yunfeng, deputy director of the China National Space Administration's (CNSA) system engineering office, disclosed on Thursday.

Liu made the remarks at a press conference on Thursday in Beijing, introducing detailed plans for this year's celebration of the country's 10th national space day which falls on April 24. The main event will be held in Shanghai, co-hosted by the China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the CNSA, and the Shanghai Government. It is organized by the People's Government of Pudong New Area and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, with Thailand serving as this year's guest of honor.

Also, first batch of scientific results from the Space-based Multi-band Variable Object Monitor, a joint satellite program developed by China and France, will be released at this year's Space Day of China, and according to Liu, these findings will provide key data for scientists worldwide to study extreme phenomenon in the universe. 

At the same time, the upcoming event will also announce the results of the international selection for the loan of Chang'e-5 lunar samples, further promoting global lunar science research, Liu said. 

China designated April 24 as the Space Day of China in 2016 to mark the launch of its first satellite "Dongfanghong-1" into space on April 24, 1970. Since 2016, the Space Day of China celebrations have been held in cities across the country including Beijing, Xi'an, Haikou, Hefei and Wuhan, with relevant activities being held both online and offline.

Its presence has reached every corner of China, earning widespread recognition and attention from all sectors of society. It has become a key platform and window for promoting the spirit of space exploration, sharing space culture, popularizing scientific knowledge and uniting strength for China's space endeavors, Zhang Tao, director of the CNSA publicity department, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

Reviewing China's space strides in 2024, Liu, the CNSA official, said that China has executed 68 successful orbital launches in 2024, setting a new historic high. Liu added to the list of 2024 highlights the Chang'e-6 successful retrieving of lunar samples from the far side of the moon, a world first.

Last year, China carried out Shenzhou-18 and -19 manned spaceflights, as well as Tianzohu-7 and -8 cargo spacecraft to the China Space Station with full success. China's first commercial space launch site in South China's Hainan Province also became operational in 2024, according to Liu.

With a dense schedule of missions, China Space's 2025 will be even busier. Tianwen-2 will carry out a mission to rendezvous with and sample a near-Earth asteroid. The manned space program will launch the Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 manned spacecraft. 

The China-Europe joint mission, the Solar Wind Magnetosphere Interaction Panorama Imaging Satellite, will explore the processes and patterns of solar wind-magnetosphere interactions. The China-Italy Electromagnetic Monitoring Satellite 02 will be launched when conditions are favorable, contributing to earthquake prediction research, per the CNSA.

Zhuang Mudi, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai municipal government, extended a warm welcome to visitors worldwide to the Space Day of China this year in China, at the Thursday conference in Beijing.

Zhuang noted that Shanghai boasts a solid foundation in the space industry. From the Chang'e lunar exploration program, Tianhe space station core module and Tianwen Mars probe mission, to the "Xihe" solar observation, Fengyun meteorological satellites, the Qianfan satellite constellation, the "rockets made in Shanghai" and "satellites made in Shanghai" are found throughout China's major space missions. 

The city is home to more than 240 major space enterprises and has established a complete industrial ecosystem covering rockets, satellites, terminals and services. Shanghai has also built a closed-loop space industrial chain of "technology R&D - capital matchmaking - application deployment," and developed mass production capabilities for 50 commercial rockets and 600 commercial satellites annually, according to Zhuang. 

The Shanghai government official also vowed to achieve several goals in the city's space industry development in coming years. By 2027, Shanghai aims to grow its commercial space industry to a scale exceeding 100 billion yuan ($13.6 billion). The city seeks to achieve an annual production capacity of 100 commercial rockets and 1,000 commercial satellites, and to establish itself as a hub for reusable rocket innovation, low-cost satellite manufacturing and industry application services, Zhuang said. 

According to the organizers, lunar samples collected by Chang'e-5 and Chang'e-6 from the near and far sides of the moon will be displayed together in Shanghai during the Space Day of China. 

A series of featured events will also be held, including the International Lunar Research Station Developers Conference. Officials from relevant government departments, academicians, experts and international guests from 41 countries, regions and international organizations will also attend the main event in Shanghai.

China's Foreign Ministry slammed US plans to charge port fees on Chinese-built vessels on Friday, urging the US side to respect facts and multilateral rules, immediately stop its wrongdoings and warned that China will take necessary measures to defend its lawful rights and interests.

The aggressive policy, rolled out the same day that US President Donald Trump reportedly floated the idea that the US expects to reach a trade "deal" with China and signaled a potential end to the tit-for-tat tariff hikes between the US and China, has highlighted the typical tactics of the US administration as it seeks to pressure Beijing to make concessions while mounting its crackdown on China in multiple fields, an analyst said.  

Faced with widespread doubts and opposition, the US administration is facing increasing pressure from its reckless moves and the tariff "numbers game" cannot be sustainable, Chinese analysts said, noting that the US needs to show more sincerity with concrete actions if it wants to start any talks.

The US administration went ahead on Thursday local time with its port fee by announcing the details of how Chinese-built vessels are going to be charged, starting at $50 a net ton from mid-October, and increasing onward, under the guise of reviving the US shipbuilding industry and reducing China's dominance in the sector. 

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday that imposing port fees and levying tariffs on cargo handling facilities hurt the US itself as well as others.

"The move not only hikes global maritime shipping costs and disrupts the stability of global industrial and supply chains, but also increases inflationary pressures in the US and hurts the interests of American consumers and businesses. The practice will ultimately fail to revitalize the US shipbuilding industry," Lin said.

Commenting on the USTR Section 301 Action regarding China's maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Friday that China strongly deplores and opposes the US action. 

The measures taken by the US fully expose the nature of its unilateralism and protectionist policies, and are typical non-market behaviors with discriminatory overtones. They seriously harm the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, significantly disrupt the stability of global production and supply chains, severely violate WTO rules, and greatly undermine the rules-based multilateral trading system and international economic and trade order, said a MOFCOM statement.

Chinese analysts described the actions as discriminatory trade bullying, noting that it not only disrupts global supply chains, but also damages the country's credibility as it insisted upon the policy despite wide opposition from the industry.

The levy will only serve to disrupt the logistics of the US, cripple its port operations, and hurt the interests of its allies, a Chinese expert stressed. It is just one more irrational policy rolled out by the US administration, and this one will exacerbate US economic woes while inflicting grave wounds on the world economy.

The port fees plan came as part of more aggressive potential actions against China. One US lawmaker is reportedly requesting JPMorgan and Bank of America to pull out of underwriting the upcoming Hong Kong IPO of Chinese electric vehicle battery giant CATL, Reuters reported on late Thursday. The US is also reportedly pressuring other countries to curb trade with China in negotiations over US tariffs, according to Bloomberg.

Tariff 'numbers game' unsustainable

These developments coincided with Trump's floating the idea that the US expects to reach a trade "deal" with China and signaling a potential end to the tit-for-tat tariff hikes between the two countries.

Trump on Thursday said he expects to make a trade deal with China, though he offered no specifics or indications of how talks would get underway between the two largest economies, Reuters reported.

In a separate report, Trump on Thursday signaled a potential end to the tariff hikes between the US and China, and that a deal over the fate of TikTok may have to wait, according to Reuters.

China's Foreign Ministry did not comment on the matter on Friday. Previously, the ministry stated that intimidation, threat and blackmail are not the right way to engage with China.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Commerce said that China has noticed that some of its exports to the US are now subject to cumulative tariffs of up to 245 percent under various pretexts but it will ignore the "meaningless numbers game." 

The ministry emphasized that such a move has blatantly exposed how the US has instrumentalized and weaponized tariffs with utter irrationality.

Chinese analysts said the US' approach showed a lack of sincerity, and urged the US side to carry out positive acts. 

"The US government is now facing widespread opposition and lawsuits across the US, and it is being urged to rework its China tariff policy. This, together with US market adjustment and the performance of US treasury bonds, has indicated that the tariff 'numbers game' cannot be sustainable," Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Friday.

Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times that the fact the US government is signaling the expectation of reaching some sort of deal with China while it continues to hurt its interests reflected a belief within the administration that tariffs can pressure Beijing to make concessions.

"However, it is already clear that such thinking and such an approach is not acceptable to China, as there is no sincerity," Zhou said.

The Chinese government has always stated that the door for negotiation is open but any talks must be carried out on an equal and fair basis, the expert said.

Tariffs face wide opposition

Trump's remarks came amid a market correction in the US, vocal criticism by some American politicians and officials as well as a visit to China by US-based chipmaker Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, during which the US tech mogul said "the China market is very important to us." 

An aggressive US tariff policy will trigger a significant slowdown in the US economy this year and next, with the median probability of recession in the next 12 months approaching 50 percent, according to economists polled by Reuters.

On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom filed a lawsuit challenging the US government's spate of tariffs that have upended global trade, BBC reported, noting that California is the first US state to file legal action against the US government over the tariffs.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear also raised alarm bells over tariffs, The Hill reported on Wednesday.

In an interview with China Media Group published on Friday, Zhao Zhongxiu, president of the University of International Business and Economics, pointed out that the US is trying to get a good bargain from China through its extreme pressure tactics.

The US inventory level is a factor. As the inventory dries up in the next three to six months, the US will be facing soaring inflation, which will be a situation the US cannot control through its blackmailing tactic, Zhao said, adding that the global production system cannot be separated from that of China's.

China-founded e-commerce sites Temu and Shein said they plan to raise prices for US customers starting next week, the AP reported on Friday. Earlier, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said that sellers may have to pass the cost of tariffs onto consumers.

China's first monkeypox vaccine has entered phase I clinical trials at a hospital in Central China's Henan Province and plans to recruit volunteers aged 18 and above in Zhengzhou, capital of the province. 

The modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA)-based live attenuated monkeypox vaccine, independently developed by Shanghai Institute of Biological Products Co (SIBP) under China National Pharmaceutical Group Corp, has received clinical trial approval from China's National Medical Products Administration. The research team will conduct the phase I clinical trials at the Henan Infection Diseases Hospital in Zhengzhou, according to a statement from the SIBP. 

The trial plans to recruit 120 volunteers aged 18 and above, including 60 healthy individuals, 30 men who have sex with men, and 30 individuals living with HIV, according to the statement. Recruitment criteria specify that participants must have a body temperature below 37.3 C on the day of enrollment. Those who have been vaccinated with smallpox should be born before 1980. Male participants and women of childbearing age must have no plans to conceive within six months and must agree to use effective contraception for that duration. The application deadline is August 21, 2025. 

Previous reports noted that the vaccine received clinical trial approval from the National Medical Products Administration on September 9, 2024, making it the first monkeypox vaccine in China to be approved for clinical trials, Shanghai local media The Paper reported. 

As a viral zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus, monkeypox spreads through direct contact, respiratory droplets, secretions, contaminated objects, mother-to-child transmission and sexual contact. 

In the one- to five-day prodromal period, infected individuals may experience fever, chills, malaise, headache, back pain, sore throat, shortness of breath and swollen lymph nodes.

Monkeypox shares clinical features with smallpox but presents milder symptoms and a lower mortality rate - between 1 percent to 10 percent. A distinguishing feature is lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes). 

In August 2022, the World Health Organization issued interim guidance on monkeypox vaccination, recommending vaccination primarily for close contacts of monkeypox patients and high-risk groups exposed to the virus. 

High-risk groups include men who have sex with men, individuals with multiple sexual partners, healthcare workers, researchers, lab personnel handling monkeypox diagnostics, and outbreak response team members.

The safety and efficacy of the MVA-based live attenuated monkeypox vaccine have been demonstrated through extensive clinical data. The vaccine is produced using a mature cell factory manufacturing process, which ensures stable manufacturing and reliable quality, experts said. Preclinical studies have confirmed its safety and its ability to provide strong immune protection against monkeypox virus challenges in non-human primate models, according to the statement from SIBP.

As of now, no monkeypox vaccine has been approved for market use in China, The Paper reported.

There are currently two vaccines including JYNNEOS and ACAM2000 approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for the prevention of mpox and smallpox diseases in adults of 18 years of age and older determined to be at high risk for smallpox or monkeypox infection. 

JYNNEOS is a live virus vaccine that contains MVA-Bavarian Nordic, a weakened, non-replicating orthopoxvirus. ACAM2000 is a live, replicating vaccinia virus vaccine, which can be shed from the vaccination site and can be spread to other parts of the body or to other people. Due to the risks of serious adverse reactions, ACAM2000 is not suitable for all populations, according to the US FDA.

The JYNNEOS vaccine is marketed as Imvanex in the UK and Europe, and as Imvamune in Canada. All three versions contain the same MVA-based vaccine and are produced by the same manufacturer.