Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 10 December, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Uzbekistan Ms. Jiang Yan attended and delivered a speech at an online ceremony marking the start of the third phase of clinical trials of a recombinant COVID-19 vaccine, produced by the Chinese company Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. 

Ambassador Jiang Yan noted that in the face of the novel coronavirus pandemic, China and Uzbekistan provided mutual assistance and support and carried out effective anti-epidemic cooperation. The joint implementation of the third phase of clinical trials of the vaccine in Uzbekistan was another important achievement of bilateral cooperation in the anti-epidemic and biomedical fields, which demonstrates the high level of the Chinese-Uzbek comprehensive strategic partnership and will certainly fill the cooperation of the two countries with new content on the construction of the "Healthy Silk Road".

The ambassador stated that at the moment the epidemiological situation around the world remains tense, and our countries still have a lot to do on the path of jointly combating the pandemic. “I sincerely hope that these tests will achieve the expected result, and the tested vaccine will become our powerful weapon against the pandemic for the benefit of the peoples of Uzbekistan and all other countries,” she concluded.

Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Bahrom. Musaev expressed gratitude to the Chinese side for choosing Uzbekistan as the first country to conduct the third phase of clinical trials of a recombinant coronavirus vaccine. He stressed that the government of Uzbekistan will create all the necessary conditions for successful testing, and expressed confidence that cooperation between Uzbekistan and China in the field of vaccines will bring fruitful results and help the peoples of the two countries overcome difficulties.

Academician Gao Fu noted that the whole world is now looking forward to a safe and effective vaccine that produces lasting immunity. He expressed the hope that the recombinant coronavirus vaccine will become one of the best options and help the global community to contain the pandemic and restore socio-economic development as soon as possible.

On 18 November, China began phase III clinical trials of a recombinant coronavirus vaccine jointly developed by the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Uzbekistan became the first country to begin clinical trials of this vaccine. The plan will select 5,000 volunteers for testing.