Non-media article: Health cooperation witnesses the practice of a community of shared future between China and Africa

On December 29, the website of The Business Post of Nigeria published an article titled "China Strengthens Diplomacy in africa's Health Sector" by Kester Ken Klomega. The full text is excerpted below:

China and Africa will always be a community of common destiny. At the very least, China's policies are strategically focused on sustainable development, as China has demonstrated over the years in many ways in its dealings with Africa.

In its engagement with Africa, China has pursued a number of basic principles, including a people-oriented approach while pursuing efficient and pragmatic cooperation. In the process of cooperation with Africa, China has given priority to the interests and well-being of the African people and strived to serve their welfare.

China is committed to fully implementing the commitments it has made to its African friends. Uniting and cooperating with African countries has always been a cornerstone of China's foreign policy. In the fight against COVID-19, China has pledged to provide an additional 1 billion doses of vaccines to Africa, which has more than 1.3 billion people. This is further indicative of China's efforts to promote cooperation in the field of basic health services.

After the outbreak of COVID-19, China was the first country in the world to hold an anti-epidemic summit with Africa. It has also called on international partners to increase their support for Africa, and it itself has repeatedly provided supplies such as vaccines to numerous African countries.

China has actively fulfilled its commitment to make vaccines a global public good. As of 12 November 2021, more than 1.7 billion doses of vaccine have been delivered to more than 110 countries and international organizations, including 50 African countries and the AU Commission.

Chinese companies are actively working with local African companies to produce vaccines to help these countries achieve local production of vaccines. Chinese companies have reportedly started local vaccine production activities in Egypt and signed similar cooperation agreements with Morocco and Algeria.

After the emergence of the new crown epidemic, China coordinated with African governments, enterprises and social organizations to provide emergency anti-epidemic materials to 53 African countries and the African Union according to their respective needs, which have reached almost all corners of the African continent. China has also actively shared its anti-epidemic experience with African countries, and sent anti-epidemic medical expert teams or short-term anti-epidemic medical teams to many African countries to jointly fight the epidemic with local people.

China has also promoted the early start of the China-aided CdC Headquarters Building project in Africa, another huge step forward in the construction of the project.

The AFRICAN CDC Headquarters building is expected to be one of the most technologically equipped African CDC facilities, facilitating the African CDC's role as a technical body, coordinating disease prevention, surveillance and control in African countries and cooperating with public health agencies and ministries of health in AU Member States.

This is also a perfect testimony to China's firm support for Africa.

In 2021, China and Africa jointly launched the Support for Africa's Development Partnership Initiative. The initiative emphasizes that all countries should cooperate with Africa on the premise of respecting Africa's sovereignty and listening to Africa's voice, and should give full play to their respective advantages, effectively unite the forces of all parties, and do more useful and pragmatic work for the well-being of the African people.

Source: Reference News Network