Vanuatu receives Chinese vaccines at handover ceremony

Sydney, June 7 (People’s Daily Online) -- On June 7, the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese government arrived in Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu, at a handover ceremony held at the National Convention Center.

Vanuatu Prime Minister Bob Loughman (right) and Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu Zhou Haicheng sign the handover certificate during the ceremony. (photo provided by Embassy of China in Vanuatu)

Vanuatu Prime Minister Bob Loughman and Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu Zhou Haicheng signed the handover certificate during the ceremony.

Prime Minister Loughman expressed his sincere appreciation to the Chinese government on behalf of the government and the people of Vanuatu for the on-going support and generous assistance to his country in this difficult time, as many countries around the globe struggle to adapt to the new normal. He said that the arrival of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine marked another milestone in Vanuatu’s fight to keep itself free from the COVID-19 virus, which was the result of the Vanuatu-China comprehensive strategic partnership. He congratulated the government of China on this joint achievement and spoke highly of the Vanuatu-China relationship and China’s generous assistance to Vanuatu over the years, adding that the Vanuatu government was looking forward to working closely with the Chinese government to maintain this good relationship for more fruitful outcomes in the future.

In his remarks, Ambassador Zhou commended the arrival of the vaccine as a great achievement by China and Vanuatu in their joint anti-pandemic fight, emphasizing that it was proof China had been delivering on the commitment made by President Xi Jinping to make COVID-19 vaccines a global public good. “China donated the first batch of Chinese vaccines and had it sent to Port Vila less than a month after WHO’s listing of the Sinopharm vaccine, notwithstanding limited production capacity and enormous demand at home. It also reaffirmed China’s commitment to supporting Vanuatu’s pandemic response and economic recovery. “I believe that these doses will contribute to Vanuatu’s plan for completing the first vaccination rollout by the end of this year,” he continued.

Chinese vaccines handed over to Vanuatu (photo provided by Embassy of China in Vanuatu)

Zhou stressed that since the onset of the pandemic, China and Vanuatu have worked hand in hand and set a model for joint epidemic response. “To clinch an early victory against COVID-19 and restore economic growth remains the top priority for the whole world, including China and Vanuatu. China will continue to stand firmly by Vanuatu’s side through all challenges, work with global partners to help Vanuatu roll out the vaccination program safely and smoothly, and improve Vanuatu’s public health system in a bid to enhance its preparedness and capability for coping with major public health emergencies,” he concluded.

The batch of Sinopharm vaccines was transported via an Air Vanuatu charter flight and arrived at Port Vila in the early morning of June 7, and was witnessed by Ambassador Zhou and Russell Tamata, Director General of the Vanuatu Ministry of Health. It was the second batch of COVID-19 vaccines and first bilateral donation Vanuatu has received.

This was the first-ever direct flight operated by Air Vanuatu between China and Vanuatu. As a major effort to facilitate personnel exchanges between the two countries and resumption of work and production, the flight also brought around 80 Chinese engineers and technicians to Vanuatu who will participate in the construction of key bilateral cooperation projects.

While keeping the country free of any community transmission of the coronavirus, Vanuatu has drawn up a plan to vaccinate its priority group, which accounts for 20 percent of its population, by the end of 2021. Vanuatu has included China-donated vaccine doses in the plan and will start the vaccination rollout soon.