"Containing the coronavirus is the most pressing task for the international community," said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday.

It is important to scale up cooperation in vaccine development, production and distribution, and make it truly accessible and affordable to people across the world, Xi stressed in his speech at the virtual Davos Agenda event held by the World Economic Forum (WEF) this year.

So far, China has provided assistance to over 150 countries and 13 international organizations, sent 36 medical teams to countries in need and worked closely with dozens of countries on COVID-19 vaccines.

China will continue to share its experience, assist less-prepared countries and regions, and improve the accessibility and affordability of COVID-19 vaccines in developing countries, Xi said.

Earlier this month, experts at the World Health Organization (WHO) said the world's poorest countries can expect to start receiving their first COVID-19 vaccine doses between the end of January and mid-February.

COVAX, the globally-pooled vaccine procurement and distribution program, has struck agreements to secure 2 billion doses, and the first of those will start rolling out within weeks, said the WHO's head of vaccines, Kate O'Brien.

The vaccine project includes 92 lower- and lower-middle income economies involved in the scheme.