In the fight against COVID-19, China has pledged to supply free vaccine against Coronavirus to Africa first, once a vaccine is developed.
This was affirmed by the Chinese President Xi Jinping while speaking to an online coronavirus forum with the leaders of several African nations.
In a speech aired on state media, President XI said: “We gathered here with our new and old friends through video to discuss anti-epidemic cooperation and cement China-Africa brotherhood.”
“We are making good on our promises at the earlier Beijing summit with concrete efforts, as well as contributing to the global anti-epidemic cooperation. We believe that humans will defeat the epidemic ultimately, and Chinese and African people will definitely live a better life,” Xi said.
In efforts to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, Chinese scientists are putting their hopes on a technology that has been used for decades.
Meanwhile, amongst the ten potential vaccines developed by the Chinese scientists, five vaccines are undergoing clinical trials, while a sixth is the result of a partnership between a Chinese company and a German biotech firm, according to the World Health Organisation.
In addition to the promise of free coronavirus vaccine, President Xi also promises to push the Group of 20 to slow down debt repayment for African nations and that China’s construction of a new Africa Center of Disease Control headquarters would start “ahead of schedule” this year, despite the pandemic.
