Chinese ambassador hands over China-donated vaccine to Timor-Leste

Chinese Ambassador to Timor-Leste Xiao Jianguo delivered 100,000 doses of China-donated COVID-19 vaccine to the Southeast Asian country at the Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport on June 5.

Timor-Leste's Deputy Prime Minister Armanda Berta dos Santos, Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Minister Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno, Health Minister Odete Maria Belo and the representatives of the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization to Timor-Leste attended the handover ceremony.

Xiao said that since April this year, the situation of the epidemic in Timor-Leste has deteriorated. China has been following the development of the pandemic in Timor-Leste and attaches great importance to the country's request for vaccine assistance.

China is determined to provide vaccine assistance to Timor-Leste despite the short supply globally. This fully embodies the firm support from China to Timor-Leste's anti-pandemic fight and the great importance of the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries. It's an updated version of China-Timor-Leste anti-pandemic cooperation, and a physical practice of China's calling for making the vaccine a global public good.

The vaccine donation is also a vivid reflection of China's practice to implement the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind and a global community of health for all, said Xiao.

China will continue to follow the changes and developments of the pandemic in Timor-Leste and provide assistance within its capability for the prevention and control of the pandemic as well as economic and social recovery and reconstruction in the country, said Xiao.

Armanda and Belo thanked China for the donation in their respective speeches, saying that the two countries have traditionally friendly relations and maintained strong cooperation. Since March 2020, China has stood firmly with Timor-Leste in all stages of pandemic prevention and control, and has provided large amounts of medical supplies to support Timor-Leste in its anti-pandemic fight in a timely manner. Today, the Chinese government's aid to Timor-Leste of 100,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine is a vivid demonstration of this important gesture of goodwill. In the face of the onslaught of the pandemic, Timor-Leste is in urgent need of vaccine protection. This batch of assistance from China is very important and timely.

They said that Timor-Leste hopes to continue to work with its development partners, including China, to further strengthen cooperation on pandemic prevention and control and protect everyone who lives and works in the country.

Xiao and Armanda signed the handover document. The aid includes 100,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine and 100,800 syringes.