China will increase efforts in international anti-pandemic cooperation and help make COVID-19 vaccines available and affordable for people in developing countries, President Xi Jinping said Tuesday at the opening plenary of the Boao Forum for Asia via video link.

President Xi highlighted that it's important to strengthen international cooperation on the research and development, production and distribution of vaccines, and "increase their accessibility and affordability in developing countries so that everyone in the world can access and afford the vaccines they need."

People and their lives should be the top priority and further efforts shall be made in information sharing and collective control, enhancing public health and medical cooperation, and strengthening the role of the World Health Organization (WHO), Xi said.

China has provided anti-epidemic materials to more than 160 countries and international organizations around the world and is providing vaccines to more than 100 countries and international organizations, according to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the past week, African countries including Cameroon, Somalia and Mauritius received new batches of COVID-19 vaccines developed by China's Sinopharm. The Solomon Islands became the first among Pacific island countries to receive vaccines manufactured by the same Chinese vaccine maker. Uganda received the fourth batch of COVID-19 test kits donated by China to boost the country's fight against the coronavirus. China's Sinovac Biotech also sent its vaccines to Cambodia and Colombia.

China has also started joint vaccine production in countries including Indonesia, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Pakistan and Turkey.

The safety and effectiveness of Chinese vaccines have earned recognition across the world, with dozens of countries authorizing the use of Chinese vaccines.

Chile released a latest study showing that the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine is 67 percent effective in preventing symptomatic infection and 80 percent effective in fending off deaths from the disease.

Read more: China's vaccine map: Multinational studies say Sinovac vaccine 'significantly effective'

Xi pointed out that solidarity and cooperation are needed to create a future of health and security, and China will continue to cooperate with the WHO and other countries, honor its commitment of making vaccines a global public good, and contribute more to help developing countries fight the virus.