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China helps UN safeguard world peace via COVID-19 vaccine donations, financial support
Updated 18:56, 21-Sep-2021
CGTN
Members of China's 5th peacekeeping infantry battalion to South Sudan during a military exercise in South Sudan, January 4, 2019. /Xinhua

Members of China's 5th peacekeeping infantry battalion to South Sudan during a military exercise in South Sudan, January 4, 2019. /Xinhua

A consignment of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Copenhagen on Monday as the Chinese government's donation for United Nations Peacekeeping personnel.

The donation handover ceremony was held virtually last Friday, and the vaccines are expected to be distributed to frontline personnel and close partners through the UN system as soon as possible.

The Chinese donation will be used in the African mission area on a priority basis, said Zhang Maoyu, deputy head of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, during the ceremony.

China's donation will enhance the UN's capacity to respond to the epidemic and help peacekeepers better fulfill their duties and missions, according to Christian Francis Saunders, the UN's assistant secretary-general for supply chain management.

Safeguarding world peace by helping others fight against COVID-19

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has plagued the world with unprecedented challenges. Millions of lives have died, and many jobs have also been lost. Vaccination should always be the top priority in the fight against COVID-19. Over the past couple of months, China has committed to promoting a fair and reasonable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world. 

Since President Xi Jinping announced making China's COVID-19 vaccines a public good at the 73rd session of the World Health Assembly last May, the country has delivered about 800 million vaccine doses to more than 100 nations as of August. They are mostly developing countries, according to data from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Over 80 countries have received vaccine donations from China. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the total number of donated and exported doses ranked first in the world during the first meeting of the International Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine Cooperation last month.

Safeguarding world peace by providing financial support

China will also provide an additional $50 million in financial support to the UN COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan and establish a third-phase South-South Cooperation Trust Fund with the Food and Agriculture Organization totaling $50 million, Xi said at last year's General Debate of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly. 

"China will continue to be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of the international order," the Chinese president said, calling for global solidarity and commitment to common values of humankind, such as peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom.

As the world's largest developing country, China pays 15 percent of the UN's peacekeeping budget and 12 percent of the UN's regular budget, making it the second-largest contributor of all member states.

(With input from agencies)

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