Vice-foreign minister reflects on China's response to COVID-19

China has assisted and supported 150 countries and seven international organizations since the outbreak of COVID-19, and provided large quantities of anti-epidemic materials to countries around the world, Vice-Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui said on Thursday.

Through coordinating epidemic prevention and control with economic and social development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs promoted the establishment of "quick channels" for personnel exchanges, material circulation and grain transportation to ensure the stability and unimpeded flow of industrial and supply chains at home and abroad, Luo said.

Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the Chinese government has attached great importance to the health and safety of overseas Chinese citizens. Luo said the ministry and more than 200 Chinese embassies and consulates abroad have been closely following the local epidemic situation, paying close attention to the local situation of Chinese citizens, and carrying out all-around consular protection and services.

The 157 embassies and consulates in 92 countries have distributed more than 1.2 million health packages with anti-epidemic materials to overseas Chinese compatriots and students, and totally sent various epidemic prevention materials to more than 5 million overseas Chinese in over 100 countries.

Also, China has actively communicated and consulted with the governments of other countries, and asked local governments to earnestly address the health and safety problems of Chinese citizens and treat infected Chinese citizens promptly, he said.

By Tuesday, China had brought back more than 70,000 Chinese nationals from 92 countries through charted flights and temporary flights, he said, adding Chinese embassies and consulates have made every effort to ensure the efficient and smooth operation of the emergency hotline and keep consular protection and service hotline – 12308 -operating 24 hours a day.

Due to the second round of the epidemic in the winter, Luo said Chinese government has taken some new measures to control imported cases from overseas, including increasing a serum antibody test and reducing the time nucleic acid tests must be taken before boarding a plane from 72 hours to 48 hours. An extract nucleic acid test is required in the transit area for passengers who need to transfer.