Chinese medical aid, solidarity turn tide

Chinese medical help－from the state and private sectors－and the country's solidarity with the people of Central America and the Caribbean have together helped the region deal with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Nine countries in the region with which China has diplomatic relations have so far seen Chinese aid being deployed quickly to help contain the disease.

"The first country that announced (that it) was going to cooperate with the Dominican Republic to cope with COVID-19 was the People's Republic of China," said Rosa Ng, a former trade representative of the Dominican Republic in China.

According to the Chinese Ambassador to the country, Zhang Run, more donations by the Chinese government are expected in the near future after an initial batch of supplies worth 700,000 yuan ($97,823).

"At the beginning of this epidemic, the Dominican government expressed its solidarity and support for China. Dominican society views this health situation objectively and rationally and respects the Chinese community that lives in this country," Zhang wrote in an op-ed article published by local press in the capital Santo Domingo.

The two countries celebrated the second anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations on May 1.

The Chinese and Dominican Republic governments have been working together during the pandemic, with China actively sharing its experience and success in curbing the virus' spread. The city of Santiago received a donation directly from the Chinese government in mid-May.

Santiago resident Migui Perez said that this "is important because the cities need the support of countries with more economic resources than ours, and in the case of Santiago, donations are needed, as the mayoralty works untiringly without having the needed resources".

'A great contribution'

He stressed that even the smallest donation under the present circumstances is of great help. "China has good relations with the country and has shown that with the mayor of Santiago, Abel Martinez, that aid is a great contribution," he said.

The private sector and the Chinese community in the Dominican Republic have deployed assistance throughout the country. This includes some 1,000 test kits from the Hefei Institute for Public Safety Research of Tsinghua University, some 50,000 face masks and 15,000 test kits, as well as four ventilators from the Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation.

MicroPort Scientific, a company from Shanghai with operations in the Dominican Republic, donated 50,000 more face masks to the National Health Service of the Dominican Republic. Shenzhen-based Huawei Technologies donated an artificial intelligence solution to speed up COVID-19 diagnosis.

Health experts from Hunan province met recently via teleconferencing with their peers from the Dominican Republic in a meeting facilitated by the Chinese embassy.

Ricardo Ng, vice-president of an association representing up to 40,000 members of the Chinese community in the country, said: "We are ready to collaborate, to help the Dominican people.

"We are Chinese, we have a Chinese face, but we have a Dominican heart. We love this country like any Dominican."

Business owners from Chinatown in Santo Domingo have played a key role in coordinating the collection and deployment of community aid. Despite their businesses being closed, many have been able to help.

"Since the outbreak began, the community has done what is its usual modus operandi: To collect money from all the members of the community and roll out the aid," said Leibi Ng, executive director of Flowers for All, an organization that promotes and cares for Santo Domingo's Chinatown.

The community's cash donations were used to buy face masks and gloves for hospitals in the area. Staples have also been distributed through churches.

In Costa Rica, the Chinese government has sent in a shipment with 50 tons of equipment. Rodrigo Delgado, Costa Rica's ambassador to Beijing, highlighted the importance of the cooperation between the two countries.

In El Salvador, China donated 100,000 masks, 10,080 test kits and five ventilators during the early stages of the outbreak.