China will keep working with Brazil to enhance Sino-Brazilian cooperation on vaccines against COVID-19, the China Daily reported, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China.

The Chinese state-owned newspaper quoted a spokesman for the ministry, Wang Wenbin, as saying vaccines are an important means of countering the COVID-19 pandemic and saving lives.

Mr Wang said the third phase of clinical trials of vaccines jointly conducted by Chinese and Brazilian companies or other institutions were progressing smoothly.

He said China was willing to cooperate more closely with Brazil on vaccines against COVID-19.

Vaccines and ingredients for them sent from China play an important part in helping Brazil counter the pandemic, the China Daily quoted the spokesman as saying.