World

Pandemic fight to solidify China-Africa brotherhood

After weeks of attentive care by Chinese and Sierra Leonean doctors and nurses, three orphans, including a nine-month-old infant, have recently fully recovered from COVID-19 in a hospital built with the help of China in the West African country.

The story is just one small part of the time-tested China-Africa relationship, which features equality, mutual trust and mutual support. That bond now stands even stronger, as the two sides have fought side by side against the ravaging coronavirus pandemic ever since the outset.

On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping presided over an extraordinary China-Africa summit, which was attended by many African leaders and heads of international bodies such as the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The virtual summit comes as the latest testimony to the two sides’ steady commitment to weathering the coronavirus challenge with cooperation and solidarity, which is exactly what they have been doing over recent months. When China was deep in the depths of its own fight against the virus, many African countries rushed to the aid of the Chinese people, delivering urgently needed medical supplies and sending warm-hearted messages.

The Morocco-based Bank of Africa, for instance, donated 150,000 surgical masks and 900,000 medical gloves to China’s Hubei Province in early February, while the African Union (AU) became the first major regional organisation to express solidarity with China.

China has also extended a helping hand to the continent. So far, China has sent much-needed supplies to over 50 African countries and the AU, dispatched medical experts, and shared its anti-epidemic experience via video conferences. Since the outbreak, Chinese medical teams have conducted some 400 coronavirus-related training sessions in Africa and have trained 20,000 local medical workers.

According to a communiqué issued on June 13 by the AU, China has ensured the supply of 30 million testing kits, 10,000 ventilators and 80 million masks each month for Africa, a “significant contribution”.

Additionally, Xi has repeatedly conveyed his sympathy and support via phone conversations with South African, Egyptian, Namibian and many other African leaders.  And more support is on the way. -Xinhua

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