ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- China has proved itself a true friend of Africa by displaying its continued solidarity with African people in times of challenges, said the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Kwesi Quartey.
Quartey made the remarks on Friday during a ceremony organized for solidarity donation of anti-COVID-19 equipment from China to AU at the headquarters of the 55-member pan-African bloc in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.
Reiterating that China has always been by the side of Africa and African peoples in times of challenges, Quartey has commended China for its continued solidarity and support to the continent during trying times.
"We have received these afternoon enormous quantities of solidarity products in the fight against the pandemic. We have learnt from China in many ways that it is said that best friends are those who stand by you in times of you are in difficulty; so, China continues to prove it," he said.
Handing over the donation to Quartey in the presence of diplomats and other AU officials, Liu Yuxi, head of Chinese Mission to the AU, noted that China and Africa have been collaborating and supporting each other since the outbreak of the pandemic.
" When the outbreak began in China, African countries helped China a lot. In recent times, China provided a lot of supports to Africa by donating medical and protective equipment to Africa. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese doctors are also helping Africa in the fight against the pandemic," said Liu.
The AU Acting Director of Medical and Health Services, Kilenga Naftal, told Xinhua that the donation is very helpful in the fight against the pandemic and also control the spread of the virus within the AU.
Naftal has noted that most African countries are not capable of producing these equipment, and even if they produce, there is no adequate supply.
" These goods include the oxygen concentrators, ventilators, the face masks, including also the face shields, all these things are very important in protecting our staff, especially the frontline staff," said Naftal. Enditem
