Guangzhou has donated 2.55 million masks and 2,200 infrared thermometers to 12 international sister cities which include 1 city in Iran (Gorgan), 3 in South Korea ( Kwangju, Incheon and Busan), 2 in Japan (Fukuoka and Noboribetsu), 5 in Italy (Bari, Genoa, Milan, Padova, Turin) and 1 in France (Lyon).

All of the donations have now been delivered to the 12 cities and are expected to aid their work in epidemic prevention and control, according to Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) at the media compress on March 26th.

[Photo\Newsgd.com]

Since COVID-19 has now spread to more countries, the Guangzhou municipal government sent letters to 20 international friendship cities which are affected by an outbreak, expressing that the city is ready to help as much as it can.

As of March 24th, Guangzhou’s daily output of masks, infrared thermometers and protective suits respectively reached 15.2 million, 6100 and 63.4 thousand. The city also produces 17 thousand boxes of test kits per day (each box can run 48 tests). When allocating resources, Guangzhou held aside a batch of supplies to send to its sister cities as soon as possible.

In addition, Guangzhou medical companies have donated more than 100 thousand test kits to countries including Kyrgyzstan and Iraq. The management committee of Guangzhou Aerotropolis Development District and local logistics companies have been also working to ensure the timely arrival of the donation.

Mayors of international sister cities who have received a donation also expressed thankfulness to Guangzhou.

Sōichirō Takashima, Mayor of Fukuoka, sent a letter to thank Guangzhou and said the masks will be sent to hospitals and priority will be given to the old, the disabled and children. According to the mayor, Fukuoka had only 20 thousand masks in stock, 10 thousand of which were distributed to hospitals. The 300 thousand masks donated by Guangzhou eased the city’s shortage.

[Photo provided to Newsgd.com]

Guangzhou FAO revealed that the city has received about 239-million-yuan donation and medical supplies from international sister cities, friendship associations, foreign-funded companies and oversea Chinese communities.

40 international sister cities across 26 countries have expressed their solidarity with Guangzhou since the epidemic started in February.

▪ On February 3rd, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Kwangju, and the city’s 1.5 million residents sent their best wishes to Guangzhou, and donated 10 thousand KF94 masks to medical institutions in Guangzhou through the Guangzhou Red Cross.

▪ On February 14th, the Fukuoka government sent a video to Guangzhou, expressing their solidarity and best wishes. They donated through the Chinese Consulate-General in Fukuoka to support Guangzhou in the battle against the epidemic.

[Photo provided to Newsgd.com]

▪ Ekrem Imamoglu, Mayor of Istanbul, wrote in his letter to Guangzhou that Chinese people have shown great courage and flexibility amid the epidemic, and will eventually contain it.

▪ Phil Goff, Mayor of Auckland, described Guangzhou people as a determined and strong community in his letter. He believed that Guangzhou and its people have the true power and courage to win the battle.

▪ The government of Recife delivered a message through the Chinese Embassy in Brazil, saying that China’s strong mobilization ability has set a model for the whole world in coping with this kind of crisis.