Chinese ambassador to the Republic of the Congo Ma Fulin (1st R) hands over a box of COVID-19 vaccine to Congolese official at Maya-Maya airport in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, Jan. 20, 2022. (Xinhua)
The Republic of the Congo has received 200,000 additional doses of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine from the Chinese government.
BRAZZAVILLE, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Republic of the Congo has received 200,000 additional doses of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine from the Chinese government.
Jean-Ignace Tendelet, chief of staff at the Congolese Ministry of Health, thanked the Chinese government for its generous donations.
The series of assistance to Africa announced by China at the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) have once again manifested the resolve of Africa-China solidarity and mutual support, Tendelet said, adding that China's continuous supply of vaccines also reflects the profound friendship between the peoples of both countries.
Max Henri Monka, chief of staff at the Congolese Ministry of International Cooperation who also welcomed the arrival of the Chinese donation late Thursday, said ties with China have been developing steadily since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1964.
He thanked China for the many batches of assistance in vaccines and other medical supplies since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Senior Congolese officials pose for a photo with Chinese Ambassador to the Republic of the Congo Ma Fulin at the airport in Brazzaville on March 10, 2021. (Xinhua)
Monka said the Chinese vaccines are safe and effective and have been validated by the World Health Organization, urging the people of the Republic of the Congo to get vaccinated so that herd immunity can be achieved as soon as possible against COVID-19.
Ma Fulin, Chinese ambassador to the Republic of the Congo, said China's donation of COVID-19 vaccines to African countries shows its determination to promote the "nine programs" in Sino-Africa cooperation and build an even stronger China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.
The nine programs cover medicine and health, poverty reduction and agricultural development, trade promotion, investment promotion, digital innovation, green development, capacity-building, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and peace and security.
Ma said China will continue to offer necessary assistance to help the Republic of the Congo combat COVID-19, stressing that no country can get out of this pandemic on its own.
China was the first foreign country to donate COVID-19 vaccines to the Republic of the Congo, which received the first batch of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines in March 2021. ■
