Chinese embassy supports students, teachers in Cuba amid COVID-19

HAVANA -- Chinese Embassy in Cuba on Tuesday gave medical supplies to Chinese teachers and students in the Caribbean nation as the country is witnessing surging infections.

Chinese Ambassador to Cuba Chen Xi handed over some packages to a group of recipients living near Havana's seafront boulevard El Malecon.

"Our embassy responds to the homeland's call to take care of Chinese citizens in Cuba, whom we have provided with these packages on the occasion of the Chinese Lunar Year," said the diplomat, extending his festive wishes to the Chinese teachers and students.

The packages include masks, disinfecting wipes, antibacterial soaps, Chinese medicines as well as food supplies and a COVID-19 prevention handbook.

Xu Yi, a teacher at Havana's Confucius Institute, thanked the Chinese embassy for its support during the sanitary emergency.

"I am so grateful to the embassy for their attention. I feel happy and content," she said.

Liu Hongyu, a Spanish language student at the University of Havana, said the help from the Chinese government is very important for him.

"Medical supplies distributed by the embassy have come timely," he said. "I was running out of face masks and I got some new ones."

The Chinese government has distributed more than 1.2 million health packages among overseas students in more than 100 countries since the pandemic began, according to official figures.