China donates medical supplies to help Africa fight virus

A batch of China-aided medical supplies, including protective suits, goggles, temperature detectors and masks, arrived at the airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on April 23.

After the handover ceremony, the donation will be dispatched to 12 African countries, namely, Angola, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, Djibouti, Lesotho, Madagascar, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Somalia and Tanzania.

Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Tan Jian and Chinese Ambassador to the African Union (AU) Liu Yuxi, officials from the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam and envoys of Lesotho, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Somalia and Madagascar in Ethiopia attended the ceremony.

The medical supplies are piled up in a warehouse in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. [CCTV]

On behalf of the aid-recipient countries and the commission of permanent representatives of the AU, Lesotho’s ambassador to Ethiopia sincerely thanked China for providing timely medical assistance, saying that while the Chinese government and people have made important achievements in their fight against the epidemic, they are always concerned about the situation in Africa and are at the forefront of efforts to assist Africa.

Thanks to the support of international partners such as China, African countries with insufficient capacity are able to continuously improve their ability and confidence in the anti-epidemic fight, he noted.

Not only the Chinese government, but also Chinese enterprises such as Alibaba Group have come to give a helping hand, fully demonstrating the profound friendship between China and Africa, both governmental and non-governmental, in the face of this major challenge, he added.

Lesotho’s ambassador to Ethiopia gives a speech at the handover ceremony on April 23. [CCTV]

The head of the Asian and Australian affairs department of the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked the Chinese government for its firm support of Africa during the tough period of fighting the epidemic and appreciated China’s achievements in the anti-virus battle.

He said that there is an all-weather friendship and a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Ethiopia, adding that their bilateral relations have shown great vitality and strength.

In the early days of the outbreak, Africa stood firmly with China, and as Africa’s fight against the epidemic is increasingly grim, China has given firm support, he said, expressing his gratitude to the Chinese government and Chinese enterprises, including the Jack Ma Foundation, for their firm support of Africa's epidemic prevention efforts and for sending experts to Africa to share their experience.

An official in charge of the Asian and Australian affairs of the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives a speech at the ceremony on April 23. [CCTV]

Tan Jian addresses the ceremony on April 23. [CCTV]