China and African Countries to Hold Summit on Solidarity Against COVID-19 Pandemic

Report By: Nandika Chand | Last Updated 17, 2020

The leaders of China and African countries are set to hold a summit against the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. This is a joint effort to build a community of community health based on the traditional China-Africa friendship.

The summit will be presided by China’s President Xi Jinping and held via a video link. The United Nations General Secretary Antonio Guterres and WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus are also expected to participate.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the summit will help build up consensus between China and the African countries in solidarity against the pandemic and boost their cooperation. He said it will inhect fresh impetus into support for multilaterialism and strengthen international cooperation in fighting the epidemic. Since the discovery of COVID-19 in Wuhan in November 2019, over 50 African leaders have stood by China, expressing sympathy and support. China has also delivered medical supplies and sent medical experts to African countries to help combat the virus.

Last month, Beijing declared to provide $2 billion over two years to help with COVID-19 response as well as with economic and social development in affected developing countries. President Xi said China will establish a cooperation mechanism for its hospitals to pair up with 30 African hospitals and accelerate the building of the Africa CDC headquarters to help boost its disease preparedness and control capacity. “It will also work with other G20 members to implement the Debt Service Suspension Initiative for the poorest countries to bolster support for the hardest-hit countries under the greatest strain of debt repayments,” he said.

China has also lended a supporting had to Sudan.