China has provided and is providing COVID-19 vaccine aid free of charge to 69 developing countries in urgent need, while exporting vaccines to other 43 countries, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a press conference in Beijing on March 7 on the sidelines of the Fourth Session of the 13th National People’s Congress, answering questions of journalists from home and abroad on China's foreign policy and external relations.  

China has carried out its largest emergency humanitarian action since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, making contributions to the anti-coronavirus efforts of the world, Wang said. 

In particular, China has started to provide COVID-19 vaccines to 35 African countries and the African Union Commission. So far, China has provided close to 120 batches of emergency supplies to Africa and sent medical expert teams to 15 African countries to support their fight against the pandemic. 

“Helping African countries contain the COVID-19 pandemic and bring their economies back on track is the top priority of the China-Africa cooperation,” Wang said. 

According to Wang, a new session of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), scheduled later this year in Senegal, will offer new opportunities to help Africa triumph over COVID-19 and strengthen their public health governance capacity. 

Wang said that China will continue working with other countries in unremitting efforts to completely defeat the COVID-19 pandemic. He stressed that China hopes that all capable countries will do what they can to provide vaccines to countries in need, especially developing countries, so that people all over the world will have access to affordable vaccines that truly benefit the people.