China to further assist developing countries with medical aid teams: spokesperson

BEIJING -- With Chinese medical aid teams currently working hard at 115 sites in 56 countries around the world, China will continue to provide assistance to developing countries and improve the health and well-being of people around the world, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday.

Mao made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked to comment on a query related to Chinese medical aid teams abroad.

Recently, many countries spoke highly of the work of Chinese medical teams. The Chinese medical team was awarded National Order of Merit, Cooperation and Development Medal by President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) anti-COVID team from China was awarded the Knight Medal of the Kingdom of Cambodia by the Cambodian Ministry of Health.

"China dispatched its first medical aid team abroad 60 years ago," Mao said, adding that since then, a total of 30,000 medical personnel have treated over 290 million local patients in 76 countries and regions, including Africa and Asia, with widely recognized achievements.

Mao said that as a developing country, China has always shared weal and woe with fellow developing countries. "The 60-year international medical assistance demonstrates that the Chinese people love peace, value life and have the original aspiration of mutual help and common pursuit of happiness with other developing countries," she said.