CHINESE DONATIONS PROVIDE TIMELY HELP

Since March, massive medical supplies donated by the Chinese government, companies and individuals have been distributed to over 50 African countries and regions.

The timely donations, including face masks, disposable protective clothing, forehead thermometers as well as other equipment, have helped alleviate the continent's shortage of medical supplies in the face of the epidemic.

The latest donation was made on July 14, when the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) donated a consignment of medical supplies, including 20,000 masks and 1,000 bottles of hand sanitizers, to African labor unions to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus among African workers.

ACFTU's donation to the Organization of African Trade Union Unity also included office equipment, such as printers and laptops, to support the work of the union across the continent.

On June 30, the Communist Party of China (CPC) donated various medical supplies to Zambia's governing party, the Patriotic Front (PF), as part of the efforts to help the country deal with the pandemic.

The materials were donated to the PF by the Chinese Embassy in Zambia on behalf of the CPC International Department. The donated items included 30,000 surgical face masks, 500 protective clothing and 240 thermometers.

Meanwhile, Chinese companies and individuals are also making their own contributions.

Jack Ma, Chinese tech entrepreneur and philanthropist, has donated three batches of medical supplies to 54 African countries via the Jack Ma and Alibaba foundations.

Following Ma's announcement of donating the third batch of medical supplies, African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said "I thanked Jack Ma for the donations of supplies to the AU Commission. This includes 4.6 million masks, 500,000 test kits, 200,000 personal protective equipment, as well as 300 ventilators."

The chairperson of the 55-member pan African bloc also stressed that "these vital supplies will enhance the Africa CDC's strategic stockpile to assist member states in the COVID-19 fight."