China is donating 500,000 COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines as it promised to support its ally's recovery from the pandemic, Malacanang said.
Beijing's top envoy and State Councilor, Wang Yi, was in Manila last Saturday for meetings with his Filipino counterpart, Foreign Affairs Sec. Teodoro Locsin Jr and President Rodrigo Duterte.
"The recovery of nations... sits on the back of stronger economies. China plays a very key role in reviving our region's economies. Let us do all we can to receive economic activities from the Philippines and China," Duterte said in a statement released by Malacanang.
The donation of 500,000 doses compared with the 25 million total order by Manila from China's Sinovac, the first batch of which will arrive as early as February. China is also supplying vaccines to Indonesia, which has the largest outbreak of COVID-19 in Southeast Asia.
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Aside from the vaccine donations, Wang reassured Duterte of Beijing's commitment to finish infrastructure projects in the Philippines, according to the Palace statement. Later this week, agreements will be finalized for the Davao City-Samal Island connector road and the Subic-Clark railway.
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