China donates single largest shipment of COVID-19 vaccine to Bolivia

A new donation of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine from China arrived in Cochabamba, Bolivia on Dec 26, 2021. The Bolivian government held a grand ceremony to welcome the donation, which was the single largest shipment from China to Bolivia to date.

Deputy Foreign Trade and Integration Minister Benjamin Blanco and Chinese Ambassador to Bolivia Huang Yazhong attended the ceremony and hosted a press conference.

Blanco said since the arrival of the first shipment of vaccine in February, China has been providing continuous support for Bolivia's fight against COVID-19, adding that this donation, made at the end of the year, will help promote vaccination of minors in Bolivia as a Christmas and New Year gift from China to the people of Bolivia.

On behalf of the Bolivian government, he expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Chinese government and people for their generosity. It not only brings hope to Bolivia in overcoming the pandemic, but also makes an outstanding contribution to improving the accessibility of vaccine in developing countries, Blanco said.

2021 was a difficult year in fighting against the pandemic for all countries in the world, but "in times of trouble, there is true love", Huang said, adding that China and Bolivia have achieved positive results in the anti-pandemic fight, and Chinese enterprises have actively resumed work and production to help with Bolivia's economic recovery.

Huang said China sincerely wishes that the people of Bolivia, under the leadership of President Lucho Arce, will overcome the pandemic as soon as possible and experience economic revitalization, adding that China will continue to actively contribute to the fight against the pandemic and to economic construction in the new year.

President Arce posted an announcement on Twitter saying that the shipment of vaccine will be used to vaccinate children aged 5 to 11.