China offers fresh support to Rwanda amid COVID-19 pandemic

KIGALI -- Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top political advisory body of China, has donated medical supplies to the Senate of Rwanda, becoming the latest support China has provided to the central African nation since COVID-19 broke out here in March.

The donation of 22,400 disposable medical masks was handed over on July 23 by the Chinese Embassy in Rwanda at the parliament building in the Rwandan capital city Kigali.

Members of a CPPCC delegation that visited Rwanda in April 2019 are concerned with the COVID-19 situation in Rwanda and are willing to contribute to Rwanda's fight against the virus, said Wang Jiaxin, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Rwanda.

Due to the cordial cooperation between the two countries, China will continue to support Rwanda in combating the coronavirus, he said, adding that a fresh batch of medical supplies donated by the Chinese government is already on the way to Rwanda.

Rwanda and China are as close as brothers, and that the Rwandan parliament and its Chinese counterparts enjoy frequent exchanges, said Sosthene Cyitatire, the upper house's Clerk.

Rwanda appreciates a series of donations from China since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Rwanda, he said, adding that it is more necessary for countries to maintain solidarity and work together amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The donation was the latest among various kinds of support China has made.

As early as March 20, the Association of Chinese Enterprises in Rwanda donated 10 million Rwandan francs (about 11,000 U.S. dollars) to Rwandan ministry of health, less than a week after the central African country reported the first case. Thereafter, different Chinese enterprises donated medical supplies including nucleic acid diagnostic kits, face masks, protective suits, and surgical gowns to Rwanda.

China's Hunan Road & Bridge Construction Group in June donated 20,000 face masks to the Rwandan health authorities.

The Chinese government in April handed over donated medical supplies of protective face masks for medical use, surgical masks, disposable protective clothing, infrared thermometers, medical protective goggles, disposable sterilized rubber surgical gloves and medical isolation shoe covers to the Rwandan counterpart.

The supportive efforts were also made through the engineering work. Sinohydro Corporation, which has been constructing southern Rwanda's Huye-Kibeho-Munini road upgrading project funded by a concessional loan from China, in April assisted the Nyaruguru district in the region to clear roads affected by heavy rains, including those connecting to a major hospital in the district.

Chinese experts from Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, China, had also shared anti-epidemic experience in hospital management, emergency response, and medical staff training with frontline doctors in Rwanda through a webinar.

The Chinese medical team to Rwanda also has been assisting their Rwandan counterparts in the fight against the virus.