Health Minister Dr. Edwin Dikoloti receiving the donation from Chinese Ambassador, H.E. Wang Xuefeng
The Pan Afrikanist Watchman
On 4th August, Chinese Ambassador H.E. Wang Xuefeng handed over eight (8) oxygen concentrators and 20 ventilators to Hon. Dr. Edwin Dikoloti, Minister of Health and Wellness, helping Botswana fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and address the shortage of oxygen equipment at local hospitals particularly.
On 5th August, Ambassador Wang handed over a batch of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with UNFPA Botswana Head of Office, Ms. Mareledi Segotso to Minister Dikoloti. The US$60,000 PPE includes 1,900 isolation gowns, 20 boxes of examination gloves, 40 boxes of surgical gloves, 40 boxes of surgical masks, 1,650 goggles, 1,980 face shields, and 1,900 coveralls, which will be used to protect frontline workers amid the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This donation is part of a US$500, 000 project by China under the framework of the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund to help strengthen Botswana’s response to COVID-19 and HIV infections, and to improve basic health services, maternal and child healthcare, and reproductive health services.
China calls for unity, making vaccines global public good
The first meeting of the International Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine Cooperation on 5th August highlighted the need to make vaccines a global public good, ensure fair and equitable distribution of vaccines, and increase the vaccine production capacity of developing countries.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired the meeting held via video link under the theme, ‘strengthening international cooperation on vaccines, promoting fair and equitable distribution of vaccines around the world’.
In a written message to the meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China will strive to provide two (2) billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to the world this year as well as $100 million to the COVAX programme, taking a step further in honouring its commitment to making vaccines a global public good.
See also:
Five-point Consensus Reached the meeting:
Joint Statement of the International Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine Cooperation:
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-08/05/c_1310110373.htm
China’s Fortune Global 500 companies rise to 143
Chinese companies have thronged on the 2021 Fortune Global 500 list amid steady economic fundamentals and healthy business growth in the country.
A total of 143 Chinese companies made it to the Global 500 list this year, surpassing runner-up United States for the second consecutive year. China had more Fortune Global 500 companies than the United States for the first time in 2020, with 133 firms on the list.
The State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) moved up to the second spot this year, ranking only after U.S. retail giant Walmart. The strong performance indicates that China has maintained robust economic growth while businesses are growing healthily.
China’s photovoltaic power generation up 23.4% in H1
China’s photovoltaic power generation rose 23.4% year on year in the first half of 2021 (H1) amid the country’s efforts to peak carbon dioxide emissions and achieve carbon neutrality.
In the January to June period, China’s photovoltaic power generation stood at 157.64 billion kWh. Newly-added installed photovoltaic power generation capacity totaled 13.01 million kilowatts in the period, and the cumulative installed photovoltaic power generation capacity hit 268 million kilowatts by the end of June.
