LIEGE, Belgium, March 18 (Xinhua) -- A batch of 1 million face masks were flown into Belgium on Wednesday en route to France. The medical supply was mobilized by two Chinese charities to help combat the spread of COVID-19.
A cargo plane loaded with the donation departed from Hangzhou, eastern China earlier in the day and arrived at Liege Airport around 12:45 local time (1145 GMT).
The goods will be handed over to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of France, said a press release by the Alibaba Foundation and Jack Ma Foundation.
On board the plane were also medical goods donated to other European countries including Belgium and Slovenia.
The relief effort was the latest in a series of initiatives launched by the two charities to help Europe cope with the ongoing health crisis.
The two Chinese organizations have delivered medical equipment to the hardest hit European countries like Italy and Spain, since the World Health Organization identified Europe as the "epicenter" of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic last week.
Also on Wednesday, another batch of medical supplies sent by China arrived at the Paris Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport.
This package of medical aid includes protective masks, surgical masks, protective suits and medical gloves, as required by the French side, according to Lu Shaye, China's Ambassador to France.
"At the crucial moment when China waged war against the epidemic, France provided us with precious support and assistance," said Lu. "Now France and the whole of Europe are facing the serious challenge of the pandemic, China is ready to provide aid as far as possible."
As of Wednesday morning, 70,989 infections have been reported in the EU/EEA and UK area, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
To address the acute shortage of personal protective equipment, the EU has launched a joint procurement process and put a restriction on medical goods export.
