China has passed the WHO vaccine regulatory system assessment and became the 36th vaccine-producing country to have its regulatory system approved, said Lahouari Belgharbi, a scientist from the WHO's Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, on Tuesday, Xinhua News Agency reports.

The WHO vaccine regulatory system assessment is a key standard widely recognized by the international community to measure national drug regulatory mechanisms and vaccine quality. The assessment is a comprehensive test of national drug regulatory capacity.

"It is a validation of the capability of the Chinese regulatory authority," said WHO China Representative Michael O'Leary. "China produces a large number of vaccines at affordable prices and could make a significant contribution to meeting the world's vaccine needs."

China has 36 vaccine-producing plants manufacturing 49 kinds of vaccine for 27 different diseases. It has an annual capacity of producing nearly 1 billion doses, according to SFDA statistics.

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