FM: Chinese vaccines to aid Myanmar

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Myanmar State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on Monday. (Zhang Dongqiang/ Xinhua)

China has decided to provide Myanmar with COVID-19 vaccines and is providing epidemic control supplies to help it fight the virus as State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi wrapped up his two-day visit to the Southeast Asian country on Tuesday, January 12. 

Beijing is also willing to discuss further vaccine cooperation with the country, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

On Tuesday afternoon, epidemic control supplies were handed over to Myanmar at a ceremony held by the country's Ministry of Health and Sport.

During a meeting with Wang on Monday, Myanmar State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi thanked China for the vaccines, and she hailed China's success in overcoming the impact of the virus and achieving positive economic growth.

President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Myanmar in January last year and agreed with Myanmar President Win Myint on initiating a bilateral endeavor to build a China-Myanmar community with a shared future.

During Wang's trip this week, both sides agreed in principle on the expected text of an action plan for translating the community into reality, and they will sign the text at an early date, the Foreign Ministry said.

Major outcomes of his trip also included the signing of documents such as a five-year plan for advancing bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Both sides also agreed to jointly build the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor with great quality and speed up the construction of related projects.

The trip, made despite the lingering pandemic, represents China's support for the successful operation of the new Myanmar administration as well as its efforts to seek national rejuvenation and long-term stability, Wang said.

Win Myint said Myanmar is dedicated to realizing a consensus between the leaders of both nations, bolstering friendship and achieving common development.

He expressed appreciation for China's support for Myanmar's national reconciliation process and China's backing for Myanmar in the international arena.

Myanmar is the first leg of Wang's six-day tour of the region, which will also take him to Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines.

After finishing this New Year tour, Wang will have visited all 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations since the outbreak of the pandemic.

ASEAN replaced the European Union as China's largest trade partner last year.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of the China-ASEAN dialogue relationship, and Myanmar will also assume the role of country coordinator of China-ASEAN relations this year.

The country will also be co-chair of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism as well as the chair of the consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, an expected agreement to help preserve peace and order in the region.

Myanmar is willing to play a proactive role in promoting China-ASEAN relations and Lancang-Mekong cooperation, Win Myint said.

China is ready to strengthen teamwork with Myanmar to take China-ASEAN ties to a higher level and push for the early implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade pact, Wang said.

Reporting by Zhang Yunbi (China Daily); editing by Wang Jingzhong