China reaching out globally to fight virus

KUALA LUMPUR－As the unprecedented novel coronavirus pandemic is taking a heavy toll globally, China has provided much-needed medical supplies and treatment experience to help countries fight the crisis.

A team of medical experts dispatched by the Chinese government has arrived in Kuala Lumpur to help Malaysia fight the pandemic.

The eight-member expert team was received by China's Ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian and officials of Malaysia's Ministry of Health upon their arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Saturday.

During the contingent's two-week stay in Malaysia, it will share its expertise in fighting COVID-19 with its Malaysian counterparts, which will help Malaysia's efforts against the pandemic, Bai said.

"This is the time when governments and the people of China and Malaysia are working together and looking after each other to overcome the difficulties."

Malaysia's Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said the Chinese expert team and Malaysian experts would share their expertise and views on COVID-19.

"We will discuss with our colleagues from China and we will see how we can cooperate, to improve our virus detection, our treatment and public health, and how we can work together with China."

Firsthand experience

China has been standing in solidarity with countries worldwide as the COVID-19 pandemic cases escalate rapidly.

A Chinese medical team arrived in Tashkent on Friday to assist Uzbekistan's efforts to fight COVID-19.

The team also carried medical supplies donated by Jiangxi Province, including surgical masks, respirators, medical protective suits, nucleic acid testing kits, goggles and noninvasive ventilators.

The experts, specializes in various areas including traditional Chinese medicine, intensive care, hospital infection control and emergency treatment, are from several hospitals in Jiangxi and the provincial center for disease prevention and control.

"All the team members have firsthand experience in treating COVID-19 patients or controlling the epidemic," said team leader Luo Lisheng.

"We will share China's experience in fighting COVID-19 and offer training on disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment to our counterparts in Uzbekistan," Luo added.

"China will never forget the Uzbek aid when China was badly hit by the virus. I hope that the work of Chinese experts will be useful to the Uzbek side to achieve victory in fighting against COVID-19," said Jiang Yan, the Chinese ambassador to Uzbekistan, who greeted the Chinese experts at the airport.

The medical team will also provide medical supplies, training and consultation to overseas Chinese in Uzbekistan.

Late last month, China also donated protective medical supplies to Uzbekistan to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Libyan Foreign Ministry said that the country received a shipment of anti-coronavirus medical aid from the Jack Ma Foundation.

"A shipment of medical aid, including medical devices and equipment, has arrived today, to help fight COVID-19," the foreign ministry said on Saturday.

"This shipment comes as part of the initiative of the Jack Ma Foundation and under the supervision of the Ethiopian Prime Minister," the statement said.

Share without reserve

China's government, companies at home and abroad, institutions, and provinces and cities have so far donated large amounts of face masks, test kits and protective suits to 120 countries and four international organizations. And Chinese companies are working day and night to produce ventilators and protective gear to deliver urgent orders from international clients while meeting domestic demand.

Also, Chinese front-line medical experts have shared without any reserve their treatment experience with peers in more than 100 countries and regions, through multiple video conferences.

And China has sent teams of medical experts to many countries, including Iran, Iraq, Italy, Serbia, Cambodia, Pakistan, Laos and Venezuela to help contain COVID-19.

Xinhua - Agencies