Chinese medical team lands in London

by New Worker 

correspondent

landing at Heathrow

A group of Chinese medical workers arrived at Heathrow Airport in London last weekend to help Britain fight the coronavirus plague. The 15-member delegation from Shandong province in eastern China includes six medical experts specialising in disease prevention and control, traditional Chinese medicine, Western medicine and psychological counselling, among others. The team brought medical supplies which will be donated to local hospitals and Chinese communities. They will also provide health consultancy to the Chinese communities in Britain.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson via telephone that the Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting the health and safety of Chinese citizens overseas, hoping that Britain will take concrete and effective measures in safeguarding the health, safety and legitimate rights of Chinese nationals on its soil, particularly those studying here.

The Chinese embassy in Britain has been supplying Chinese students studying here with health packs containing an anti-epidemic guide and medical kits. During an online speech on Monday, Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming told representatives of the students from regions across Britain that the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government have always been concerned about their safety and health.

Saying that Britain is now at a key point in containing the spread of coronavirus, Liu called on Chinese students in the country to combat the disease in a rational and scientific manner, reduce long-distance travel, avoid cross-infection and properly arrange studies and future plans from a long-term perspective.

China attaches great importance to its cooperation with Britain in the fight against the virus, said Liu.

Since the outbreak, the Chinese embassy and consulates in Britain have maintained close communication with the police and relative departments such as the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Home Office and Department for Education.

Chinese diplomats have held talks with the British side on reported discrimination against Chinese citizens and the embassy has issued a series of consular reminders and opened an emergency helpline said Liu.

“We have also established contacts with more than 150 universities with Chinese students in Britain to respond to your needs as soon as possible. We tie the safety and life situation of each student to our hearts and leave no one behind,” said Liu.

The student representatives, for their part, told Liu that since the outbreak earlier this year, many Chinese students have actively donated money and medical supplies to their motherland.

The Chinese Students and Scholars Association in Britain will continue to take active measures to unite students studying here and help each other in combating the outbreak, they said.