LIBREVILLE, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of China-donated Sinopharm vaccines arrived in Libreville, the Gabonese capital on Friday, the first anniversary of the start of the pandemic in the central African country.

Prime Minister Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, accompanied by two ministers and the Chinese Ambassador Hu Changchun, welcomed the arrival of the cargo at the airport.

China responded quickly to the Gabonese government's request for vaccines and was the first country to do so, fully demonstrating the brotherhood between the two countries, said Ossouka Raponda.

Gabon is confident in the safety and efficacy of Chinese vaccines, she said, adding that with the support of China, Gabon will surely overcome the epidemic.

President Ali Bongo Ondimba said Friday on social media that the national vaccination campaign was about to start and that healthcare workers, security forces, people at risk and the elderly will be the first to benefit from it.

The aid demonstrates the deep traditional friendship and the great political trust between the two countries. China is actively implementing the promise to make its vaccines an accessible and affordable global public good for developing countries and is taking concrete steps to build a closer China-Africa community of common destiny and a closer global health community, said Ambassador Hu.

Gabon reported its first case of infection on March 12, 2020. As of Friday, it has recorded a total of 16,313 confirmed cases with 93 deaths related to COVID-19.