Ambassador Yu Hong attends handover ceremony for second batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by China to Brunei

On September 12, the second batch of 100,000 Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines and 102,400 accompanying syringes donated by the Chinese government to the Bruneian government arrived at the Brunei International Airport. Yu Hong, ambassador of China to Brunei, Second Minister of Foreign Affairs Erywan bin Pehin Yusof of Brunei and senior officials from the Bruneian Ministry of Foreign Affairs were at the airport to receive the donations and attend the handover ceremony.

Ambassador Yu Hong said in her remarks that this is the second time China donated vaccines to Brunei after the first batch of 52,000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines in February this year. These vaccines stand as a testament to the profound friendship from the Chinese government and its people, as well as China's firm support for Brunei's fight against COVID-19. China upholds the vision of a community of common health for mankind, and has been consistently calling for closer international cooperation on vaccines. To date, China has provided over one billion doses of Chinese vaccines, the largest amount in the world, to more than 100 countries and international organizations. President Xi Jinping mentioned that in the course of this year, China will strive to provide 2 billion doses of vaccines to the world, and has decided to donate US$100 million to the COVAX for distributing vaccines to developing countries. China has also launched the Initiative for Belt and Road Partnership on COVID-19 Vaccines Cooperation, the China-ASEAN Public Health Cooperation Initiative, and continued to improve the "China-ASEAN vaccine friends" platform. China will continue to make contributions to the achievement of equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines of the developing countries.

Ambassador Yu Hong spoke highly of the anti-pandemic cooperation China and Brunei have had since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Especially after the outbreak of the second wave, Chinese company BGI responded swiftly to the request of the Bruneian government, and coordinated the arrival of experts and the delivery of equipment in less than a week. The 1st mobile inflatable Huoyan laboratory in Southeast Asia was put to operation in no time, substantially improving the daily testing capacity. Hengyi Industries donated much-needed supplies and equipment to the Huoyan lab to support its smooth and safe operation. Evyd Technology continued its upgrading of the BruHealth App, which is playing an increasingly important role in case tracking and quarantine management. The Muara Port company has waived port and terminal fees for all the medical supplies and equipment. China stands in solidarity with Brunei and sincerely hopes that the Bruneian side will bring the pandemic under control as soon as possible, achieve economic recovery and restore the livelihood.

Minister Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof expressed his deep appreciation on behalf of the Bruneian government and people to the Chinese government and people for the generous support and assistance China has rendered when Brunei needs it the most. He also spoke highly of the fruits yielded in the course of the past 30 years after the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Brunei, and taking the opportunity of the celebration the 30th anniversary, both sides are committed to constantly advancing bilateral cooperation in all fields for the benefits of both peoples.

Early in February, China donated the first batch of 52,000 Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines to Brunei which has played an important role in the rolling out of vaccination program in Brunei.