The Chinese embassy in Damascus announced today that China will send 150,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Syria as aid.
Chinese Ambassador to Syria, Feng Biao, confirmed in a statement to the Syrian newspaper "Al-Watan" that State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi successfully held a phone call with Syrian Foreign Minister Dr. Faisal Mekdad on January 31. The two sides affirmed that the friendship between China and Syria is deeply rooted in history, and the two countries have continuously exchanged strong support regarding issues related to their core interests and major concerns.
Feng Biao noted that some countries continue to impose unilateral and illegal sanctions on Syria, exacerbating the suffering of the Syrian people, adding that China, as a dear friend and partner to Syria, will continue to provide assistance as much as possible. Last year, China provided a significant quantity of medical supplies to Syria, and this time, in addition to the 150,000 vaccine doses, China will also provide 20 ventilators and 750 tons of rice as a first batch of food aid, contributing to Syria's efforts to overcome the pandemic early. This also represents a tangible step to realize the initiative of "a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind" proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Chinese ambassador concluded by stating, "I believe that under the personal care of Presidents Bashar al-Assad and Xi Jinping and through joint efforts from both sides, friendly cooperation between the two countries will be strengthened, and the friendship between the two peoples will continue to solidify."
On the other hand, over the past 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, practical and friendly cooperation between the two sides has yielded fruitful results in politics, economics, culture, security, and other fields. Notably, the two countries have combined efforts to combat the pandemic since early last year, which has strengthened the friendship between their peoples. Syrian health officials indicated that the country is collaborating with Russia and China regarding vaccines; however, the authorities have not yet announced any bilateral agreements. It is also noted that Syria is one of the countries signed onto the global COVAX program supported by the World Health Organization to provide vaccines to the poorest countries.
