On March 24, H.E. Ambassador Liu Yuxi, Head of the Mission of China to the African Union and H.E. Dr. Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) attended the handover ceremony of donating anti-pandemic materials to the UNECA.
Ambassador Liu said in his remark that since the outbreak of the pandemic, especially since the holding of Extraordinary China-Africa Summit On Solidarity Against COVID-19 initiated by President Xi Jinping and the African leaders, China has always stood firmly with African countries to fight against the pandemic. China provided anti-pandemic materials and related assistance to the African Union and almost all African countries. An increasing number of African countries are also using the safe and effective Chinese vaccines. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) meeting scheduled in Senegal this year will be a new starting point for China-Africa cooperation in the post-pandemic era to boost the African economic recovery.
Dr. Songwe expressed her gratitude to the Chinese government for its continuous assistance to the African countries and the UN agencies in Africa in the fight against the pandemic. She said that the Chinese government took correct and effective measures to quickly control the domestic epidemic and achieve economic recovery, which set an example for the African countries. China also actively participated in the G20 Debt Relief Initiative to help African countries tide over difficulties. She wished that China and Africa could continue to strengthen cooperation in the field of trade, especially in e-commerce, so as to inject new impetus into the construction of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Prior to the handover ceremony, the two sides held a meeting to exchange views on issues concerning China-Africa cooperation in the fight against pandemic, the post-pandemic economic development in Africa, and the support for multilateralism.
