CIDCA vice-chairman attends online handover ceremony of China-donated vaccines and medical supplies to Laos

Deng Boqing, vice-chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), attended the handover ceremony of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines and medical supplies to Laos via video link on Nov 25, 2021.

"China and Laos are friendly socialist neighbors connected with mountains and rivers. Under the strategic guidance of leaders of the two parties and countries, the two sides have constantly consolidated mutual political trust, deepened pragmatic cooperation and maintained a high level of people-to-people exchanges, bringing many tangible benefits to people of the two countries and creating a fine example for international relations," said Deng in his address.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, China has managed to provide Laos with vaccines and many medical supplies such as facial masks, protective clothes and ventilators, sent medical experts to Laos and organized exchanges online in a drive to aid the country in its efforts to contain the spread of the virus.

So far, Deng said, China has supplied 6.9 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Laos and has been its largest supplier of COVID-19 vaccines. Since the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Laos in October, China has extended additional assistance to Laos in a move to help its areas bordering China build an immunity barrier and resume bilateral trade at an early date.

Deng said China-Laos cooperation epitomizes the cooperation between China and ASEAN countries, adding that China will donate an additional 150 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to ASEAN countries, provide them with $1.5 billion in financial assistance in the following three years, strengthen collaboration with all ASEAN member states, including Laos, on the building of a cross-border immunity barrier, and deepen cooperation with them in health and other sectors.

The COVID-19 is still raging across the globe. To date, China has provided over 1.8 billion doses of vaccines to the international community. It will continue to take the leading role in the global anti-pandemic cooperation and economic recovery. Also, it will work with all countries around the world to promote the Global Development Initiative to achieve recovery and common prosperity.

In his speech, Lao Health Minister Bounfeng Phoummalaysith appreciated the continuous assistance provided by the Chinese government to Laos. He stressed that China-developed COVID-19 vaccines have played an important role in helping Laos reach its inoculation targets in 2021 and 2022 and form an immunity barrier, demonstrating the spirit of solidarity and mutual assistance between the two sides in the building of a community with a shared future.

Laos is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in all sectors and achieve common development and common prosperity, he said. 

The other attendees of the handover ceremony, which was hosted by Southwest China's Yunnan province, included Li Malin, vice-governor of Yunnan, Qian Keming, China's vice-minister of commerce, and Jiang Zaidong, Chinese ambassador to Laos.

The first shipment of China-donated supplies to Laos was handed over in Yunnan's Mengla county and Mengkang port on Nov 25, 2021.