China is sending medical supplies to India to help fight the coronavirus outbreak
India is getting help from China as it battles the coronavirus pandemic.
In a tweet Thursday, the Indian ambassador to Beijing, Vikram Misri, said that China had dispatched 650,000 kits — including RNA extraction kits and rapid antibody tests, which are both used to test for coronavirus.
#IndiaFightsCoronavirus A total of 650,000 kits, including Rapid Antibody Tests and RNA Extraction Kits have been despatched early today from Guangzhou Airport to #India | #2019nCoV #StayHomeSaveLives @MEAIndia @HarshShringla @DrSJaishankar
— Vikram Misri (@VikramMisri) April 16, 2020
Speaking in a news conference on Wednesday, Misri said:
“The two governments are in touch over facilitating procurement of medical supplies. It is important to ensure product quality as well as reasonable and stable prices. Ensuring freight and cargo links operate smoothly is also a priority.”
India-China ties: This isn’t the first time India has received help from China during the pandemic. India received a donation of 170,000 medical coveralls from China, according to a news release issued by the Indian Press Information Bureau on April 6.
Although China and India have a complex relationship, Misri highlighted that the pandemic “offers immediate and long-term opportunities for the two countries to cooperate and send a positive signal on bilateral ties.”
“In the mid to long-term, both countries, as large repositories of scientific and technological manpower, have enormous scope to find avenues for mutually beneficial cooperation on the (research and development) aspects of dealing with Covid-19, including finding a vaccine,” Misri said.
As of Thursday morning, India had reported 12,380 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 414 deaths.
Source CNN
