NPC Deputy Urges “Vaccine Confidence” as a Biosafety Early-Warning Metric, Eyes Chengdu–Chongqing Drug Cluster

Vaccine hesitancy framed as a security risk

During China’s annual “Two Sessions” legislative meetings, National People’s Congress (NPC) deputy Jiang Lingfeng (蒋凌峰) called for adding “vaccine confidence” to the country’s biosafety early-warning system, according to Time Weekly (时代周报) via Huxiu (虎嗅). Jiang—who is president of Zhifei Biological (智飞生物), a major vaccine company—argued that social media–driven distrust and cognitive biases are depressing uptake of non-mandatory vaccines and should be treated as a public health, economic, and strategic security issue. His proposal also urges making coverage rates for key non–Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) shots—such as influenza and shingles—hard targets under the national “Healthy China” assessment framework.

Jiang cited stark gaps between disease burden and protection. Among those aged 65 and above, invasive pneumococcal disease incidence is 4.6 times that of other adults, with a 15%–20% case fatality rate and average hospital costs around RMB 35,000, yet the estimated 2022 coverage of the 23‑valent pneumococcal vaccine among people 60+ stood at just 3.23%. Influenza? He said population-level benefits require vaccination rates above 50%, but China’s rate has hovered near 3%. The World Health Organization has listed vaccine hesitancy among the top ten global health threats—Jiang’s point is that China is no exception.

Monitoring trust, tightening information flows, and funding R&D

To counter hesitancy, Jiang proposed three near-term levers. First, establish a standing national survey to monitor “vaccine confidence” and flag sudden drops as early biosafety risks. Second, build a joint governance mechanism for vaccine-related content across the Cyberspace Administration of China (国家网信办), the National Health Commission (国家卫健委), and the Chinese CDC, to standardize dissemination and curb harmful misinformation. Third, steady industry expectations with targeted support: reportedly encouraging local subsidies or livelihood programs for non-EPI vaccines such as HPV, shingles, and flu; and, when demand slumps, backing R&D via post-development subsidies and state major-project funding.

This push comes in a system where EPI vaccines are publicly funded but many adult and specialty vaccines remain out-of-pocket, suppressing uptake. The proposals, if enacted, would likely benefit manufacturers—including Zhifei Biological (智飞生物)—by stabilizing demand and underwriting innovation. Beijing has identified biopharma as a strategic frontier technology; bolstering domestic vaccine resilience also aligns with broader supply-chain security goals amid intensifying U.S.–China tech competition and scrutiny over critical health technologies.

Chengdu–Chongqing as China’s next biopharma growth pole?

Jiang’s second submission seeks national backing to forge a world-class innovative drug cluster in the Chengdu–Chongqing region, leveraging institutions such as Sichuan University (四川大学), Chongqing University (重庆大学), and West China Hospital (华西医院). The region has reportedly seen accelerating momentum: by late 2025, Chongqing counted 42 innovative drugs in clinical trials and three approvals; Chengdu’s 2022–2024 outbound licensing deals totaled $24.5 billion, around 20% of China’s total; and a Chongqing-based biotech struck a global licensing agreement exceeding $700 million in 2025. The ambition is clear. The challenge? Jiang argues original innovation remains thin and high-end factor agglomeration uneven versus China’s established clusters in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Greater Bay Area.

His remedy centers on whole-of-life-cycle support—streamlined reviews, stronger batch release capacity, and more layered reimbursement for novel medicines—plus deeper regional supply-chain collaboration from raw materials to contract research and manufacturing. He also urges talent and capital magnetism: tilting national talent programs and funds toward the area, and mobilizing policy lenders and state-guided funds to seed early-stage biomedicine with “patient capital.” Can Chengdu–Chongqing convert latent advantages into an irreplaceable global edge? With policy wind at its back, it’s a test Beijing seems keen to run.