On February 25, 2021, Ambassador Huang Zheng met with and extended farewell to Dr. Eunyoung Ko, the outgoing Country Liason Officer of the World Health Organization (WHO) to the FSM, Palau and the Marshall Islands.
Ambassador Huang updated Dr. Ko on the progress of China-FSM anti-pandemic cooperation. He said that China has decided to provide 10 million doses of vaccines to COVAX. It is providing vaccine aid to many countries and cooperated with the WHO experts team in carrying out the China part of the global origin-tracing study. Huang emphasized China's high appreciation of the WHO being holding an objective and impartial position. Huang said that it is commendable that the WHO puts forward scientific and reasonable epidemic response suggestions based on science and facts, gives China valuable support, and firmly opposes politicizing, smearing and labeling the pandemic. Upholding the vision of a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity and acting on Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, China will continue to coordinate closely with the WHO to promote international anti-epidemic cooperation and the building of a global community of health for all, thus making China's contribution to the accessibility and affordability of vaccine for developing countries and to an early ultimate triumph over the virus for the entire human race.
Ambassador Huang made positive remarks on what Dr. Ko has done in the FSM, in particular, her performance in guiding the FSM federal government through developing a set of science-based and effective anti-epidemic measures, which ensures the FSM's status as one of the ten countries with no COVID-19 cases, and wished her greater achievements in her new post.
Dr. Ko briefly reviewed her service in the FSM, expressed thanks to Ambassador Huang for his assistance in multiple areas and spoke positively about the good working relationship between the Chinese embassy and the WHO Country Liasion Office in the FSM. Dr. Ko pointed out that the WHO highly commends that the Chinese government, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, has adhered to the principle of "putting people first and the life first", carrying out resolute and decisive epidemic prevention and control measures and thus made major strategic achievements against COVID-19, actively engaging in international pandemic prevention and control as well as the virus origin-tracing study in an open, transparent and responsible manner and making significant contribution to safeguarding world public health. Dr. Ko said that the WHO stands ready to deepen cooperation with China on epidemic prevention and control and speeding up vaccine administration around the world especially in developing countries so as to secure an eventual global victory over the virus on an early date.