China will provide another one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to African countries, including 600 million doses as donation, Chinese President Xi Jinping said during his speech at a virtual session of the 2022 World Economic Forum. 

Xi said China will also donate 150 million doses to members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

China has already sent over two billion vaccine doses to more than 120 countries and international organizations.

"China is a country that delivers on its promises," Xi said. 

He reiterated that cooperation is "the only right way" to defeat the pandemic, while holding each other back or shifting blame "would only cause needless delay in response" and "distract us from the overall objective." 

"Amidst the raging torrents of a global crisis, countries are not riding separately in some 190 small boats," Xi said. "But are rather all in a giant ship on which our shared destiny hinges."

"Small boats may not survive a storm, but a giant ship is strong enough to brave a storm," he added.

Countries need to strengthen international cooperation against COVID-19, carry out active cooperation on the research and development of medicines, jointly build multiple lines of defense against the coronavirus, and speed up the efforts to build a global community of health for all, Xi said.

Of particular importance is to fully leverage vaccines as a powerful weapon, and ensure the equitable distribution, quicken vaccination, and "close the global immunization gap," he said.

More than 180 million doses of China's Sinopharm and Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines have been shipped to 49 countries through COVAX, an international COVID-19 vaccine initiative led by the World Health Organization, playing a crucial global role in boosting immunity and saving lives.