China to continue providing vaccine aid for global pandemic response

BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson with China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) said on Friday that by providing vaccine aid, China will continue to work with all parties to make new contributions to the global fight against the pandemic of COVID-19.

CIDCA spokesperson Tian Lin said China is providing or will provide vaccine aid to 80 countries and three international organizations. And for some countries that really have difficulties, China also provides syringes to facilitate their use of the vaccines. "The aid is being delivered in a timely and orderly manner."

Tian said the scope of vaccine aid covers 26 Asian countries, 34 African countries, four countries in Europe, 10 in America, and six in Oceania, adding that China is also providing vaccine aid to the African Union, the Arab League and UN peacekeepers.

The vaccine aid operations have fully demonstrated the trust in the safety and effectiveness of the Chinese vaccines shown by the international community, especially other developing countries, Tian said.

According to the spokesperson, to date, over 60 countries have approved market access or issued emergency use permits for Chinese vaccines.

"The COVID-19 vaccine aid is the first big-scale vaccine aid operation since the founding of the People's Republic of China," said Tian.

With the Chinese vaccines getting conditional market approval, China is fulfilling its promise of prioritizing the provision of vaccines to developing countries, Tian said.

"The following factors are our main considerations when we formulate an aid plan: first, the benefits of equitable and timely access to vaccines for developing countries; second, the severity of the epidemic and the specific vaccine aid needs of the countries concerned; and third, the capacity of the Chinese government to provide vaccines," he said.

"China's anti-pandemic supplies and vaccine aid are totally open and honest," Tian said, adding that "our goal is to help other developing countries to save as many innocent lives as possible, without any geopolitical purpose or political conditions."

"On the issue of vaccine aid, China is not a savior, but we are willing to be a friend in need and a sincere partner to help our friends in times of difficulty," he said.

Since the second half of last year, the international community has become increasingly concerned about the global vaccine "distribution deficit", as vaccine research and development continues to advance and vaccines gradually come into use in different countries.

"High-income countries have obtained massive vaccine supplies rapidly, while poor countries remain empty-handed. This severely imbalanced situation has aroused deep concerns in the international community, especially in developing countries," he said.

"We need to make efforts to promote the equitable distribution of vaccines globally," he said.

He said China hopes that the international community will resolutely oppose acts of profiting at others' expense, hoarding and monopolizing, and firmly stand against "vaccine nationalism."