U.S. orders China to shut Houston consulate in move China calls ‘unprecedented escalation’
The United States has told China to close its consulate in Houston, both countries said on Wednesday, deepening a deterioration in bilateral relations, and a source said Beijing was considering shutting down the U.S. consulate in Wuhan.
Washington had “abruptly demanded” closure of the Houston consulate on Tuesday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said, and the editor of an official media outlet said on Twitter that China had been given 72 hours to do so.
Beijing condemned the order and threatened retaliation, but did not say what measures it might take.
BREAKING: Trump Admin Secures Up To 600M Coronavirus Vaccine Doses With Pfizer, Free To Americans
By Ryan Saavedra Jul 22, 2020
FTA
The Trump administration placed an initial $1.95 billion order for 100 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine with Pfizer and can acquire an additional 500 million doses.
Pfizer and BioNTech announced in a joint statement that they secured “an agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense to meet the U.S. government’s Operation Warp Speed program goal to begin delivering 300 million doses of a vaccine for COVID-19 in 2021.”The BNT162 program is based on BioNTech’s proprietary mRNA technology and supported by Pfizer’s global vaccine development and manufacturing capabilities. The BNT162 vaccine candidates are undergoing clinical studies and aren’t currently approved for distribution anywhere in the world.
“Under the agreement, the U.S. government will receive 100 million doses of BNT162, the COVID-19 vaccine candidate jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, after Pfizer successfully manufactures and obtains approval or emergency use authorization from U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” the statement said. “Americans will receive the vaccine for free consistent with U.S. government’s commitment for free access for COVID-19 vaccines.”
HHS Secretary Alex Azar said, “Expanding Operation Warp Speed’s diverse portfolio by adding a vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech increases the odds that we will have a safe, effective vaccine as soon as the end of this year. Depending on success in clinical trials, today’s agreement will enable the delivery of approximately 100 million doses of this vaccine to the American people.”