BEIJING, June 8 (INP) China will support the core role of WHO in coordinating vaccine research and development, promote clinical trials in multiple centers, and facilitate market entrance as soon as possible, so as to provide the world with a safe, effective and high-quality global public good.

This was stated by a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Geng Shuang, while commenting on a speech delivered by Premier Li Keqiang at a virtual global vaccine summit.

The virtual global vaccine summit held last week, was aimed to raise funds for Gavid-19, the Vaccine Alliance, with a view to ensuring vaccine accessibility worldwide. In particular, funds will be directed to accelerating research, development, production and distribution of a vaccine for COVID-19.

Leaders from more than 30 countries and heads of international organizations, including the United Nations and WHO, attended the summit.

All participants expressed their common desire to strengthen cooperation in vaccine research and development, and conveyed the confidence and determination of the international community to join hands in fighting the virus. China congratulates the summit on its success.

As the challenges remain severe, vaccines represent a strong shield against the virus. Premier Li's speech demonstrated China's positive attitude towards vaccine research and development and international anti-virus cooperation, he added. , the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, Wang Zhigang, minister of science and technology, said that China will maintain its promise of upholding COVID-19 vaccine as a global public good and provide them to people around the world, Vaccine is the most essential tool in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, and many countries have made its development a high priority, Wang said in a press conference on the publishing of a white paper on China's fight against COVID-19 by the State Council Information Office. Wang said China right now has one adenovirus vector and four inactivated vaccines in clinical trials. "China's overall vaccine development is on par with other countries, and for some vaccines, it is at the forefront of the world," he said. "However, vaccine development is an extremely complicated and rigorous scientific undertaking, it is hard and requires time," he said, adding there are also many great uncertainties surrounding scientific research. "Vaccine development is more like an exquisitely choreographed dance, not an improvised performance," he said. Wang stressed that safety, potency and accessibility are three priorities for vaccine development, and China will keep collaborating with other countries to tackle this undertaking. If Chinese COVID-19 vaccines were proven to be successful and applicable, Wang said China would fulfill its promise of providing them as a global public good and make them accessible to the world. INP/JAVED