Beijing, August 5: On the evening of August 5, 2021, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China has made “four firsts” in international vaccine cooperation when hosting the First Meeting of the International Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine Cooperation.
China is the first to share the full-length genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus with the world, helping countries accelerate vaccine research and development
China is the first to conduct phase III clinical trials of the inactivated vaccine overseas, and has conducted research and development cooperation with more than 20 countries since then. At present, four Chinese vaccines have been approved for use in more than 100 countries, and two vaccines have been added to the WHO Emergency Use Listing and the procurement list of the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX). Their safety and efficacy have been recognized by international authorities. This is a common achievement of China and other developing countries.
China is the first to provide vaccines to developing countries in need. When China hasn’t formed a scale production capacity and had a sharp rise in demand for vaccination, China began to provide vaccines for much-needed countries since September 2020. China has been and is donating vaccines to more than 100 countries, and has exported vaccines to more than 60 countries, with a total exceeding 770 million doses, ranking the world’s first.
China is the first to cooperate with other developing countries in vaccine production. The United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Indonesia and Brazil have become the first countries in their regions to have COVID-19 vaccine production capacity, writing a new chapter of unity and self-reliance among developing countries.
China has also actively provided vaccines to the COVAX, UN peacekeepers and the International Olympic Committee. Not long ago, China launched the Initiative for Belt and Road Partnership on COVID-19 Vaccines Cooperation and looks forward to the participation of more countries in this initiative.
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