A medical worker prepares a dose of the Sinopharm COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine at a hospital in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on Nov 25, 2021. (STR / AFP)

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia and China would collaborate in vaccine research, development and production, The Star recently quoted Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah as saying.

"Malaysia welcomes prominent vaccine companies from China to set up their production plants in Malaysia which include data research and R&D centers," Saifuddin Abdullah said in a joint press conference with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in China on Saturday

Saifuddin said the collaboration will fulfill Malaysia's aspiration to be able to produce its own vaccines as expressed in Malaysia's National Vaccine Development Roadmap.

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The roadmap was recently announced by the country's Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

"Malaysia welcomes prominent vaccine companies from China to set up their production plants in Malaysia which include data research and R&D centers," Abdullah said in a joint press conference with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in China on Saturday.

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The two sides agreed to continue anti-pandemic cooperation when the two ministers co-chaired the first meeting of the high-level committee on China-Malaysia cooperation in Anji in east China's Zhejiang province.