On June 13, the Chinese Government-aided Myanmar National Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Medical Training Center Project held a handover ceremony in Naypyidaw. The event was attended by various dignitaries including H.E. Mr. Chen Hai, Ambassador of China to Myanmar, Lieutenant-General Aung Lin Dwe, Secretary of the State Administration Council, several members of the State Administration Council and Union Ministers, Li Qun, Deputy Director General of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Minister Counselor Dr. Zheng Zhihong and Counselor Ouyang Daobing from the Embassy of China in Myanmar, as well as diplomatic envoys from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and other countries.

After a rain, the air in Naypyitaw was refreshing with a cool breeze, and the newly completed Chinese Government-aided Myanmar National Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Medical Training Center shone brightly under the golden sunlight. The distinctive Myanmar-style red-tiled building sparkled against the backdrop of blue skies, white clouds, and lush greenery. Amidst warm applause, Ambassador Chen Hai, together with several distinguished guests from Myanmar, cut the ribbon for the completion of the project. Secretary Aung Lin Dwe inaugurated the center, and guests offered traditional Myanmar blessings of spreading dew to mark the successful completion and handover of the center.

Ambassador Chen Hai congratulated the successful completion and handover of the project in his speech, saying that the China-aided Myanmar National Center for Disease Control is a landmark project of China-Myanmar friendly cooperation and the largest aid project from China to Myanmar in recent years, which has demonstrated the profound friendship between the governments and peoples of China and Myanmar. China and Myanmar reached a consensus on the project in 2018 and started construction in 2021. Over the past three years, with the guidance and support of governments of China and Myanmar, the teams from both sides have worked together to overcome challenges such as the pandemic, ensuring the on-time and high-quality completion of the project. It is believed that the CDC project will help Myanmar enhance its level of medical modernization and improve its capacity for independent development of public health.

Ambassador Chen stated that President Xi Jinping advocates for promoting the building of a global community of health for all. This concept runs through the joint efforts of China and Myanmar in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and is fully demonstrated in the process of building the CDC. Linked by mountains and rivers, China and Myanmar enjoy profound Phauphaw friendship. Throughout the long history of friendship, the two countries have always understood, respected, and supported each other, manifesting the spirit of the China-Myanmar community with a shared future of sharing the joys and sorrows and helping each other. The Chinese government adheres to the people-centered development concept and will continue to uphold the friendly policy towards Myanmar for all the Myanmar people, strengthen political mutual trust with Myanmar, deepen practical cooperation, promote high-quality joint building of the Belt and Road and the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, enhance cultural exchanges, and help Myanmar achieve peace, stability, and development to ensure that friendly cooperation between the two countries further benefits the two peoples.

Aung Lin Dwe expressed deep gratitude on behalf of the Government of Myanmar and Prime Minister Min Aung Hlaing, highly praising Chinese enterprises for overcoming difficulties and implementing high-quality construction in the foreign aid projects. With the joint efforts of China and Myanmar, the China-aided CDC project has helped Myanmar's national health capacity meets international standards with Chinese equipment and effectively improved Myanmar's ability to respond to public health challenges, he said. Myanmar is committed to maintaining and operating the center well, making full use of its role in emergency response, training, and research. In addition to this, Myanmar is willing to further deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership with China and jointly build a Myanmar-China community with a shared future.

Ambassador Chen Hai and Dr. Thet Khaing Win, Union Minister for Health of Myanmar, exchanged the handover certificates of the project. Guided by Union Minister Dr. Thet Khaing Win, the guests visited various facilities at the China-aided CDC project. The high quality of the project construction and the advanced level of disease control training facilities received high praise from the guests.

The China-aided Myanmar National Center for Disease Control and Medical Training Center, covering an area of 40,000 square meters and a construction area of 18,000 square meters, includes the buildings of the Center of Disease Control, the Medical Training Center, and the Administrative Office, as well as Myanmar's only biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory. On the same day, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Myanmar. Both parties will jointly establish the "National-level International Joint Research Center for Tropical Disease" at the China-aided Myanmar National Center of Disease Control, which will strengthen the joint prevention and control of malaria, dengue fever, and other infectious diseases for both China and Myanmar.