The China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) and the Gates Foundation have formally signed a memorandum of understanding and established a joint working group to maintain regular coordination, CIDCA spokesperson Li Ming told the Global Times on Wednesday, noting that their collaborative project “Accelerating Malaria Elimination in The Gambia,” conducted with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, has been successfully launched, achieving initial progress and providing tangible health benefits to the people of Gambia.
The spokesperson made these remarks at a press conference on Wednesday in response to inquiries about whether the two sides have specific initiatives, following Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s meeting last month in New York with Bill Gates, chairman of the Gates Foundation. Gates noted that the foundation looks forward to further strengthening ties with China and carrying out more substantive cooperation in global health, particularly in developing countries, to jointly advance global development efforts.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang expressed hope in September that Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation will play a role in the continued deepening of exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States for more practical results, Xinhua News Agency reported on September 24.
China is ready to expand cooperation with the foundation by carrying out more cooperative projects across the entire health chain globally and actively engaging in trilateral and multilateral cooperation with developing countries to better benefit people and make greater contributions to global development, said the Chinese premier, according to Xinhua.
Li expressed his hope that the foundation will continue to strengthen cooperation with relevant Chinese departments and local partners, leverage platforms such as the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute in Beijing and the Shanghai Center of Excellence for Global Health and Development, to implement cooperative projects, Xinhua reported.
“CIDCA will fully implement the consensus reached between Premier Li Qiang and Bill Gates, and further explore cooperation potential and expand partnerships with the Gates Foundation,” said the spokesperson. “CIDCA maintains ongoing exchanges and collaboration with the Foundation, with significant potential for joint efforts to address global health challenges and improve the well-being of people in developing countries.”
Li Ming noted that these collaborations not only reflect China’s responsible participation in global health governance, but also serve as a successful example of the international community working together to tackle global challenges.
He added that both sides will continue to explore third-party project cooperation in Africa, Asia, and other regions on health issues such as malaria and polio elimination, as well as poverty alleviation, agricultural development, and climate change response. They also aim to innovate financing models to achieve early results and jointly advance the Global Development Initiative and the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
