Heading for a Dead End?
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Singapore’s deepening democracy ST Turns 175 Hunt for a Covid-19 remedy MCI(P) 053/04/2020 August 2020 US-CHINA RELATIONS HEADING FOR A DEAD END? DEAD END?Tit-for-tat moves, ideological battles, trade and tech wars, espionage – an end to the bitter battle seems more and more puzzling WE BRING YOU SINGAPORE AND THE WORLD UP TO DATE IN THE KNOW News | Live blog | Mobile pushes Web specials | Newsletters | Microsites WhatsApp | SMS Special Features IN THE LOOP ON THE WATCH Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Videos | FB live | Live streams To subscribe to the free newsletters, go to str.sg/newsletters All newsletters connect you to stories on our straitstimes.com website. Data Digest Vaccine trials show promise Three front runners in the Covid-19 vaccine race have shown they can trigger immune responses which help the body ght the virus. The results offer hope, but more trials on more people need to be done to make sure they will really work. THE THREE VACCINES SO FAR The vaccines appear safe, ChAdOx1-S (Now at Phase III) • Gene coding with no dangerous side effects. Developer: University of Oxford and spike protein pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca • They stimulate the body to mount a protective response, Type of vaccine: Non-replicating viral vector through the production of immune system Sars CoV-2 soldiers that can help the body ght off This vaccine is made using a 1 ChAdOx1 spike protein invaders. These include neutralising weakened version of the virus antibodies, which disable the virus; binding that causes the common cold nCov-19 vaccine antibodies that bind to the virus, agging it in chimpanzees. or the infected cell for attack; and T-cells, ChAdOx1 which kill virus-infected cells. viral vector The latest ndings from the Gene three trials relate to preliminary sequencing results from Phase I and II of the clinical development process. What’s next THE DEVELOPMENT CYCLE OF A VACCINE 2 It also contains the genetic A trial involving almost 50,000 TYPICALLY HAS MULTIPLE PHASES: code of a specic protein of people in various countries, the coronavirus that gives it including Britain and the US. Exploratory stage its trademark spikes. When the vaccine 3 4 This induces Pre-clinical stage enters cells inside Antibody an immune the body, it uses response, this genetic code to priming the Clinical development produce the Spike immune surface spike protein system to protein of the attack the coronavirus if it Regulatory review and approval coronavirus. later infects the body. Manufacturing Adenovirus Type 5 Vector LNP-mRNAs (Now at Phase I/II) (Now at Phase II) Developer: Germany’s BioNTech, NUMBER OF COVID-19 VACCINES Developer: China vaccine company China’s Fosun Pharma and Pzer CanSino Biologics and Beijing Institute of of the US BEING TESTED AT EACH PHASE Biotechnology Type of vaccine: RNA Type of vaccine: Non-replicating viral vector PRE-CLINICAL TRIALS Before testing is done on people. This vaccine works in a This involves injecting 140 similar way to the one being snippets of the viral developed by Oxford and genetic code into the Small groups of people receive the trial vaccine to test if it is safe, if AstraZeneca, using a patient. The person 10 there are side effects and the weakened and modied does not get infected, PHASE I* immune response it provokes. human cold virus to carry but his body still genetic material from the mounts a protective coronavirus into the body. response. The clinical study is expanded and could include those most 10 at risk of the disease. What’s next What’s next PHASE II* It has already been approved for use by The paper on the Pzer study is the Chinese military, and a large currently undergoing scientic The vaccine is given to international trial is being planned. peer review. thousands of people to monitor 3 on a much larger scale if it PHASE III* NOTE: *Phases of clinical development works and is safe. Sources: WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION, UNITED STATES CENTRES FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, BBC, CNN TEXT: AUDREY TAN STRAITS TIMES GRAPHICS 1 Warren Fernandez Editor-in-Chief, The Straits Times & SPH’s English, Malay and Tamil Media (EMTM) Group Sumiko Tan Executive Editor, The Straits Times Dominic Nathan Managing Editor, EMTM Tan Ooi Boon Senior Vice-President, EMTM Paul Jacob Associate Editor, The Straits Times Eugene Leow Head, Digital Strategy, EMTM Irene Ngoo Vice-President (Editorial Projects Unit) EMTM Jeremy Au Yong Foreign Editor Shefali Rekhi Asia News Network Editor, The Straits Times & Editor, ST Asian Insider DESIGN Peter Williams Head, Visual, EMTM & Art Editor, The Straits Times Marlone Rubio Executive Artist Anil Kumar 13 Graphic Artist East Asia Gareth Chung Uneasy about security law, Senior Executive Artist Manny Francisco some Hong Kong residents Cover illustration weigh their options abroad PHOTO: EPA-EFE EDITORIAL DESK Ronald Kow Sub-editor, The Straits Times Dominique Nelson Journalist, The Straits Times Cover Story East Asia Trading blows, pointing A harbour for Hong Kong CIRCULATION fingers – for now in the storm Eric Ng 4 15 Head, Circulation Marketing Tommy Ong From ping-pong diplomacy Senior Manager (Circulation) to new era of hardball Singapore GE 2020 REACH OUT TO US: Pompeo’s quixotic quest Start of a new normal? For advertising enquiries: Mandy Wong for a G-10 against China 17 Head - Customer Action Vote sends signal of a desire for Teams/Jobs Making of a Chinese agent change – but not in any hurry [email protected] Circulation & subscription: Sofia Wang Executive Special Report [email protected] Trials for three Covid-19 24 vaccines show promise WE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK but much more work still AND VIEWS Letters can be sent to needed, say experts [email protected] Vaccine not a panacea for Published by The Straits Times, Singapore Covid-19, experts caution Press Holdings (SPH) Printed by Times Printers Private Limited All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. 2 contents 21 Special Report Hunt for a Covid-19 remedy PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO ST 175 Business Trends Anniversary Special New devices & technologies 26 Staying true to its mission 41 to fight Covid-19 from Day 1 People World Watch Najib gets 12 years’ jail, fine 33 China’s secret deal with Iran 44 over graft case linked to 1MDB India’s involvement in Iran railway project shrouded in uncertainty Travel Experience the world with cosy, 47 virtual tours – meet mini horses, Country Report try laughter yoga Muhyiddin’s slim win shows 35 pressing need for stronger mandate Lifestyle Japan hits out at China in Gaming trade shows annual defence review 50 waiting to spring back Beijing launches independent Mars mission Big Picture China turns to night 52 markets to revive economy and bring jobs back 3 US-China relations Trading blows, pointing fingers – for now ST ILLUSTRATION: MANNY FRANCISCO China has matched recent provocation by Washington as an electoral move to TAN DAWN WEI US broadsides with tempered get President Donald Trump another four years in China Bureau Chief the White House, the next 100 days could leave all tit-for-tat moves while concerned breathless as to what might follow. What’s more, things could get worse as the Nov 3 election planning for more trouble draws nearer while Mr Trump’s current dismal poll ahead, even after the Nov 3 ratings fail to improve. There appears to be similar expectations in Beijing, US presidential election which has greeted the barrage of bans, sanctions, expulsions, arrests and searing rhetoric from ANOTHER WEEK, ANOTHER FRESH ROUND OF Washington with equally tough words, but relative [email protected] China bashing from the Trump administration. This restraint in actions as it awaits the outcome of the time, it came as an unprecedented move to shut White House race. a Chinese consulate in Houston, where shocked “I’m not sure how the Chinese would react depending diplomats accused of committing serious espionage on who’s the winner. But in its estimation, if Trump quickly got to work burning classified documents does win a second presidency, I think China expects before they left the building after a 72-hour deadline. that Trump will hold back some of these measures and True to the Chinese principle of reciprocity, Beijing recalibrate America’s approach to China,” says Dr Hoo returned the “favour” by closing the United States Tiang Boon, who studies US-China relations at the S. diplomatic mission in Chengdu, similarly giving the Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Americans three days to get out. The fact that this year’s election season has If political pundits are right in labelling this latest coincided with a pandemic that originated in China 4 AsianInsider August 2020 and is costing Mr Trump at the national polls against in recent months the importance of pursuing a new rival Joe Biden also makes for a convincing argument development strategy of “domestic circulation” and that the US leader is punishing Beijing while deflecting moving away from export-led growth. attention from his poor handling of the outbreak. In a meeting with some of China’s top tech bosses, So far, China’s response to the US’ broadsides has he urged them to be patriotic, to innovate and also been tempered tit-for-tat moves, such as choosing to to harness the strengths of their country’s formidable target the Chengdu US consulate instead of the larger domestic market in the face of rising protectionism, missions in Hong Kong, Shanghai or Guangzhou. a battered global economy and other nations moving That said, if the Americans are using the Chengdu to correct over-reliance on China.