China pledges new aid for global COVID-19 response

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday announced a slew of new measures China will take to continue its support for global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

China will provide an additional $3 billion in international aid over the next three years to support COVID-19 response and economic and social recovery in other developing countries, Xi said when speaking at the Global Health Summit via video in Beijing.

Having supplied 300 million doses of vaccines to the world, China will provide still more vaccines to the best of its ability, he said.

China supports its vaccine companies in transferring technologies to other developing countries and carrying out joint production with them, he said.

Having announced support for waiving intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines, China also supports the World Trade Organization and other international institutions in making an early decision on this matter, he said.

China proposes setting up an international forum on vaccine cooperation for vaccine-developing and producing countries, companies and other stakeholders to explore ways of promoting fair and equitable distribution of vaccines around the world, he added.