China awards model Ebola fighters

BEIJING – China held a ceremony to award individuals and groups for their outstanding work in fighting against Ebola both at home and in African countries on Wednesday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a letter expressing appreciation of the “noble spirit” of Chinese workers who offered medical aid to Ebola-stricken African countries and helped control the epidemic.

“China’s all-out efforts in helping Ebola-inflicted African countries demonstrated China’s image as a responsible country and significantly fortified and developed the Sino-African friendship,” Xi said.

The president praised domestic authorities and workers for their timely response and effective prevention of imported cases of the virus in China.

Xi called on government agencies, military units and other relevant parties to prioritize the health and security of the public, make concrete efforts in epidemic disease prevention, control and public health emergency response to contribute to building a “healthy China.”

A total of 280 individuals and 60 groups were awarded at Wednesday’s ceremony, with six representatives giving speeches at the event.

Fighting the Ebola epidemic had been a huge test for China’s ability to respond to health emergencies.

The country’s performance has displayed the nation’s good virtue, Vice Premier Liu Yandong said at the ceremony.

China has delivered more than 750 million yuan (117 million U.S. dollars) worth of humanitarian aid and sent hundreds of medical workers to the front line in Ebola-stricken West Africa after the outbreak of the deadly virus last year.