Wang Yi Hosts the First Meeting of the International Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine Cooperation

On the evening of August 5, 2021, the First Meeting of the International Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine Cooperation was held via video link. President Xi Jinping addressed the meeting in a written form, and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted the meeting.

President Xi announced in his address that China will strive to provide two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the world throughout this year and offer US $100 million to the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) facility, another major move for China in honoring its commitment of making vaccines a global public good as well as making new contributions to the global cooperation against COVID-19.

Wang Yi put forward the following proposals for countries to work together to triumph over the pandemic: first, value human life above anything else and promote global access to vaccines; second, defend morality and justice and offer more assistance to developing countries; third, practice multilateralism and enhance the effectiveness of international cooperation; and fourth, strengthen coordination and build multiple lines of defense against the pandemic.

Wang Yi said that China has donated and is donating vaccines to more than 100 countries, and has exported more than 770 million doses of vaccines to over 60 countries, the most of any nation in the world. China has launched the Initiative for Belt and Road

Partnership on COVID19 Vaccines Cooperation days ago, and welcomes more countries to join the initiative.

Wang Yi underlined, China has no political purpose in or does not seek any economic interests from its international cooperation in vaccines. And, there have never been any political conditions attached to such cooperation. “Our only goal is to make vaccines a global public good for the people of the world in the real sense,” he said.

The foreign delegates spoke highly of China’s leading role in international anti-pandemic cooperation, especially vaccine cooperation, and appreciated China for hosting the First Meeting of the International Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine Cooperation at a time when the world is facing a new round of severe challenges from COVID-19. They indicated that all parties should be united and strengthen cooperation, provide vaccines to developing countries, especially the least developed countries, as best as they can, support the WHO’S COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX), do away with “vaccine nationalism,” support the waiver of intellectual property rights on vaccines, further beef up international cooperation on vaccine production capacity, promote fair and equitable distribution of vaccines worldwide, and work together to win the pandemic battle at an early date.

The meeting was themed “strengthening international cooperation on vaccines, promoting fair and equitable distribution of vaccines around the world.” Deputy prime ministers, foreign ministers, health ministers or high representatives of countries, responsible officials of international organizations, and representatives from 29 Chinese and foreign vaccine manufacturers attended the meeting.