Li Keqiang Meets with World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

On the morning of February 5, 2022 at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Premier Li Keqiang met with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who came to China to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

Li Keqiang welcomed Tedros' attendance at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. He appreciated the WHO's support for the Games as its moves fully reflected the Olympic motto of "Together". Li Keqiang said, two years ago, Mr. Director-General paid a visit to China during China's most difficult time in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating your support for China, and President Xi Jinping met with you. In the past two years, the WHO has actively promoted international anti-pandemic cooperation and done a lot of fruitful work.

Li Keqiang pointed out, in the face of the pandemic still raging around the world, the international community should continue to make concerted efforts and stand together with mutual assistance, and at the same time, there should be more understanding and tolerance among us. The Chinese government is willing to continue to support the WHO in playing a more important role in fighting the pandemic and safeguarding human health. The vaccine is a global public good, and great importance should be attached to promoting the accessibility and affordability of vaccine to form the immunity barrier. At the same time, efforts should be made to use scientific and technological means to develop effective drugs, so as to help defeat the coronavirus, a common enemy of humankind, as soon as possible.

Li Keqiang stressed, while putting in place COVID-19 countermeasures, efforts should be made to achieve sustainable economic and social development, promote cross-border trade facilitation, ensure the safety and unimpeded flow of industrial and supply chains, and promote steady and substantiated global economic recovery. China is willing to maintain close and friendly cooperative relations with the WHO.

Tedros extended Spring Festival greetings to Li Keqiang and congratulated China on hosting the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. He said that he is honored to attend the opening ceremony and participate in the torch relay. The WHO highly appreciates the efforts made by the Chinese government and people to fight the pandemic, congratulates China on eliminating malaria, and is willing to continue to cooperate with China to promote fair access to vaccines and increase the vaccination rates, so as to prevail over the pandemic at an early date. The WHO upholds the principle of science for the origins tracing of the virus, and opposes the politicization of origins tracing.