China provides oxygen, ventilators to bolster India’s anti-Covid fight

As India is engulfed by the devastating second wave of the Covid-19, countries from across the world have been putting efforts to help India in combatting the pandemic through aid and assistance and support. In a gesture of solidarity with India, China’s envoy has announced that the roll-out of equipment and $1 million in cash assistance through the Chinese Red Cross will attempt to bolster India’s Covid response. China’s Ambassador Sun Weidong said in a string of tweets that the Red Cross Society of China had provided 100 oxygen concentrators, 40 ventilators, other supplies and the cash assistance to the Indian Red Cross Society through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The first batch of 100 oxygen concentrators, 40 ventilators and several other anti-epidemic supplies have been donated by the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC), which arrived in India by Chinese cargo flight from Chengdu, China. It is quite evident that the actions of the RCSC embrace the humanitarian spirit and highlight the purpose of dedication and protection of human life. “Nothing in the world is more precious than people’s lives. The rights to subsistence & development are the basic human rights of paramount importance. Actions of RCSC shine the humanitarian spirit and highlight the purpose of dedication and protection of human life & health,” tweeted the Chinese envoy. In a recent conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had emphasised the importance of China’s transport corridors and cargo flights to remain open to facilitate the movement of materials needed for India’s Covid-19 response. China is the world’s biggest manufacturer of oxygen concentrators. Chinese factories producing oxygen concentrators are currently running at full capacity, said Hao Nan, a Suzhou-based volunteer and founder of Zhuoming Info Aid, which has been involved in humanitarian relief efforts for other countries hit by the virus, including Italy, Spain, Iran and France. (Simran Walia contributed inputs for this article)