China reaffirms Xi's pledges at Global Health Summit to fight COVID-19

APD NEWS

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Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said that China will deepen cooperation with the international community to jointly fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and make greater contributions to building a global community of health for all as guided by President Xi Jinping's speech at the Global Health Summit.

Ma briefed the outcomes following the conclusion of Friday's summit, saying that people's lives are most precious and Xi has been putting people's lives and health first since the outbreak of the pandemic.

He said that Xi has been attending a series of events since last year elaborating on the concept of a global community of health for all and proposing significant measures to contain the global fight against the pandemic.

Ma said that China has given the best performance in fulfilling the promise of making COVID-19 vaccines global public good, starkly contrasted with certain countries' politicizing of the pandemic and their "vaccine nationalism."

China has supplied 300 million doses of vaccines to the world; it has provided free vaccines to more than 80 developing countries in urgent need and exported vaccines to 43 countries, Xi has noted in his speech, adding that China will provide more vaccines to the best of its ability.

Ma said that the pandemic is a global challenge, which will need international cooperation to address. The international community should give more attention and support to developing countries that have more difficulties and challenges.

At the summit, Xi said that China will provide an additional $3 billion in international aid over the next three years to support COVID-19 response and economic and social recovery in other developing countries.

These measures have boosted developing countries' capability and confidence in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and also manifested China's just position in safeguarding the common interests of the developing countries.

(Cover: Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu. /Chinese Foreign Ministry)