China's PLA flies in vaccines for Vietnamese military

HANOI • A transport aircraft of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China delivered a batch of China's Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine to Vietnam on Monday, ahead of a scheduled visit by US Vice-President Kamala Harris to the South-east Asian nation yesterday.

At the handover of the 200,000 vaccine doses at Noi Bai International Airport in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, China's Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo said Beijing has been paying close attention to the Covid-19 situation in the country, and that their cooperation in the fight against the virus is a significant part of the relationship between the two militaries.

China is willing to work further with Vietnam in battling Covid-19 in multiple ways, Mr Xiong added, so as to help the country control the disease and advance socio-economic development, as well as to ensure bilateral trade and the stability of the industrial and supply chains between the two countries.

The handover marked the first time that the Vietnamese military has received Covid-19 vaccines from foreign militaries, and was the most vivid representation of the comprehensive and strategic partnership between the two nations, Vietnam's Deputy Defence Minister Hoang Xuan Chien said at the handover event.

He expressed his gratitude to China, and promised that Vietnam will make the most of the vaccine doses and administer them among those who are on the front line battling the pandemic.

Vietnam has secured more than 23 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines so far, but just 1.8 per cent of its 98 million people have been fully vaccinated - one of the lowest rates in the region.

As at yesterday, the country has reported a total of 358,456 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 8,666 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

XINHUA, REUTERS

Number of doses of Covid-19 vaccines secured by Vietnam so far, but just 1.8 per cent of its 98 million people have been fully vaccinated - one of the lowest rates in the region.