Macao COVID center to boost global health

China stands ready to continue strengthening cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries on vaccines, pharmaceuticals and health, and in jointly promoting trade and investment, Premier Li Keqiang said on April 10.

Speaking via video link at a special conference on economic and trade cooperation between China and such countries, Li urged stronger solidarity and cooperation between them to conquer the COVID-19 pandemic.

China will work with the countries to set up an exchange center for COVID-19 response in the Macao Special Administrative Region in a bid to jointly advance the global health governance system, he said.

The conference, held both offline in Macao and online, brought together government representatives from eight countries.

Li noted that trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries has been above $100 billion annually for five consecutive years, an indicator of the resilience of their cooperation.

PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Medical staff from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army prepare to board a train in Wuhan, Hubei province, on April 7, heading for Shanghai to help in the city’s epidemic fight. The PLA Central Theater Command has mobilized more than 600 medical workers to participate in the task.