The current low levels of uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines should enable African countries to strengthen ties with China in the fight against the pandemic, an expert in international relations has said.

Aaron Siwale, a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Political and Administrative Studies in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zambia (UNZA), said China's willingness to offer more COVID-19 vaccines to the African continent should be embraced.

"The politics and challenges of COVID-19 have been very challenging especially in developing countries that do not have the capacity to manufacture vaccines. This is where we need to strengthen our cooperation with China because China has the experience in fighting the pandemic and has the vaccine," he said in an interview Wednesday. He suggested African countries should not hesitate to get the vaccines China has made available, adding that the current levels of vaccine uptake on the continent was worrying.

While commending China for what it has done so far in terms of providing medical supplies to the African continent in fighting the pandemic, Siwale said African countries must harness the goodwill shown by China.

The World Health Organisation said less than 4 percent of Africa's population has been vaccinated, with African countries so far receiving 177 million doses.