China Chamber of Commerce in the UK (CCCUK) has donated the first batch of medical supplies to The Lord Mayor’s Appeal to be distributed throughout the NHS, to care homes, and beyond.
The donation comprises nearly two million items donated by CCCUK member Bank of China, including 20 ventilators, 722,000 units of medical masks, 100,000 units of N95 masks, 19,000 sets of medical protective clothing, 19,000 sets of goggles, and one million pairs of medical latex gloves.
More are to follow, with commitments being made by CCCUK members.
The supplies will be donated to the UK’s NHS hospitals, care homes, overseas students studying in the UK, overseas Chinese in the UK, and local communities.
Following the assistance of the British Embassy in China, approximately 4,000 boxes of medical supplies weighing 65 tons are at Shanghai Pudong Airport ready to be delivered to London via official UK government channels.
Twenty ventilators arrived in London on 6 April as part of the the first batch of medical supplies donated by the CCCUK to the UK Government.
In mid-March, Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivered a national speech in the face of the developing severity of the virus, and urged the business community to provide ventilators to help the NHS.
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CCCUK took action in the first instance by issuing an initiative ‘UK-China United We Stand – UK COVID-19 Outbreak Donation Campaign’ to call upon its members to donate ventilators and other key medical supplies to the UK.
At the virtual donation ceremony, H.E.Liu Xiaoming, Chinese Ambassador to the UK, spoke highly of the proactive role played by the Bank of China and CCCUK in raising medical supplies to support the UK’s fight against the pandemic.
Mr Fang Wenjian, chairman of CCCUK and General Manager of Bank of China London Branch, expressed his thanks, saying: “We have not forgotten the support China has received from the British people when the pandemic was at its worst in China.
“Now, as we confront this difficult time in the UK, our members will consolidate forces, fulfil our social responsibilities, raise even more medical supplies for the NHS and help as much people as we can.”
Lord Mayor William Russell expressed his thanks to the Chinese companies that offered a helping hand during this critical time through video.
He described this charitable act as “like sending charcoal in snow, an embodiment of the friendship between the two countries.”
He added “On behalf of the City of London and the many beneficiaries of these generous donations, I would like to thank our friends in China for their support and kindness.
“This type of international collaboration is a glimpse of light in an otherwise dark time. I really, sincerely hope that I will be able to return to China during my Mayoralty, not only to continue to strengthen our partnership across financial and professional services, but also to thank our Chinese partners, and particularly the Chairman of the Bank of China, for the kindness that they have shown in this, our moment of need.”
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