＊第三季＊【EP. 68】#349 經濟學人新聞評論【西非迦納、COVAX (全球新冠疫苗保障機制)、印度血清研究所、戰略物資 - 稀土、歐盟高峰會、觀光業 feat. 疫苗接種護照、歐盟外交政策/策略、EEAS (歐洲對外事務部)、中東和北非、俄羅斯】

🔴Thursday February 25th 2021 🔵2021年2月25日星期四 1️⃣Ghana: thank you COVAX! 西非迦納：感恩 COVAX、讚嘆 COVAX！ A shipment of covid-19 jabs from COVAX, a global vaccine-sharing initiative, arrived in Ghana—the first recipient under the scheme. Ghana received 600,000 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca shot, produced by the Serum Institute of India, after officials proved that the country had sufficient infrastructure to ensure quick distribution. Shipments to other west African countries are expected to follow. COVAX (全球新冠疫苗保障機制，一全球性的疫苗分享倡議)的首批釋出疫苗抵達了西非的迦納 (Ghana)。迦納取得了六十萬劑由印度血清研究所 (Serum Institute of India) 製造的牛津/阿斯利康 (Oxford/AstraZeneca) 疫苗。先前官員證實了迦納有足夠的基礎設施以確保疫苗的快速分發/接種。預計將運往其他西非國家的 (COVAX) 疫苗也將隨之到來。 2️⃣Biden: being the Quartermaster of the day! 拜登：一日補給官！ President Joe Biden ordered a review of critical supply chains, including those for computer chips, drugs and the minerals used in cars and weapons. Mr Biden aims to reduce America’s reliance on rival countries and its vulnerability to natural disasters. The country faced shortages of protective medical gear early in the covid-19 pandemic, and several car manufacturers have now temporarily shut factories because of a shortage of chips. 美國總統拜登 (Joe Biden) 已下令審視重要的供應鏈，包括電腦晶片、藥物以及汽車和武器所需使用的礦物 (如稀土) 之供應。拜登意在減少美國對其競爭對手 (如中國) 的依賴以及降低其遭逢自然災害的脆弱性 (提升防禦自然災害的能力)。美國在新冠疫情大流行初期就面臨著醫療防護設備短缺的問題，且由於芯片短缺，一些汽車製造商現已暫時關閉了工廠。 3️⃣Lessons learned: the EU leaders’ meeting 歐盟成員國 - 政府首腦高峰會 At a video summit today and tomorrow, European Union leaders will try very hard not to repeat past mistakes. After a stuttering start, the distribution of covid-19 vaccines across the bloc has picked up. But the fear of new virus variants means that participants will discuss how to ensure the speedy delivery of vaccines in future, and avoid the weeks of embarrassing rows that have marred the EU’s vaccination programme thus far. Likewise, after last spring’s chaotic border closures, EU leaders will discuss ways of keeping both people and goods flowing without jeopardising anyone’s health. Measures like vaccination certificates—which are important for countries like Greece and Spain that are reliant on tourism—will also be discussed as the summer holidays start to loom. On Friday leaders must turn to assessing the EU’s strategy across North Africa and the Middle East, plus how to deal with the threats posed by difficult neighbours like Russia. 在今天與明天的視訊高峰會議中，歐盟的領袖們將竭力避免重蹈覆徹。在坎坷的起頭後，歐盟內的新冠疫苗分配已經加速進行。然而，對於變種病毒毒株的恐懼意謂著與會者們 (各成員國的政府首腦) 將討論如何確保疫苗在未來能夠迅速配送，並避免數週以來使得歐盟疫苗計畫蒙上陰影且陷入讓彼此難堪的口水戰中。相同地，在 (經歷了) 去年春天混亂的封境管制後，歐盟領袖們將討論如何在不危及任何人健康的狀況之下，兼顧人流與物流的暢通。隨著夏日假期即將到來，高峰會上亦會討論對於希臘、西班牙這些主要以觀光業為主的國家尤為重要的疫苗接種認證等措施。在週五時，領袖們必須把目光轉向評估歐盟對北非與中東的政策。此外，如何處理俄羅斯這個惡鄰所構成的威脅也是重點之一。 -- Hosting provided by SoundOn