China has said Bangladesh will get priority in terms of cooperation and support if they can successfully develop vaccine for coronavirus.

"Of course, Bangladesh is our important friend and Bangladesh will surely get priority," Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka Hualong Yan told UNB today.

He said Bangladesh and China are working closely to deal with the situation amid the coronavirus outbreak.

He said five Chinese companies are working to develop vaccine for coronavirus.

Meanwhile, an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by the Institute of Medical Biology under the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences has entered phase-2 clinical trials in China.

The phase-2 trials, which further evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of the vaccine in humans, are conducted in the southwestern province of Yunnan.

So far, five COVID-19 vaccine candidates have been approved for clinical trials in China, accounting for 40 percent of the total vaccines in clinical trials worldwide, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology, reports Xinhua.

Xi Jinping, president of the People's Republic of China, had a phone conversation with Sheikh Hasina, prime minister of Bangladesh, on May 20.

During the talks, President Xi reassured PM Hasina of standing by Bangladesh as the truest friend at this time when the country's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has become fiercer.

Bangladesh today reported 3,531 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 112,306.

In the last 24 hours, 39 more patients lost their lives, raising the death toll to 1,464.

https://www.thedailystar.net/bangladesh-get-priority-if-china-develops-coronavirus-COVID-19-vaccine-1918165