China sending 50 more ventilators to PH

FILE: Chinese Ambassador-designate to the Philippines Huang Xilian (Photo by Joyce Ann L. Rocamora via PNA)

MANILA – The Chinese government is sending 50 more ventilators to the Philippines to support efforts to manage the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian, in a CNN Philippines interview, on Friday said the latest aid is expected to arrive next week.

Huang noted that Manila and Beijing had been coordinating on strategies to stem the spread of coronavirus since the early stages of the pandemic.

Beijing has so far provided the Philippines with a total of 252,000 testing reagents, 130 ventilators, 1.87 million medical masks, protective suits, goggles, and other epidemic prevention materials.

In April, a team of Chinese medical experts also visited Manila to share Beijing’s best practices in fighting the disease.

Committing to continue this cooperation, Huang assured that China would prioritize the Philippines once it succeeds in the development of a Covid-19 vaccine.

The envoy said around 165 vaccine candidates are being developed globally, six of which have already entered the final stages of clinical trials. Of the six potential cure, Huang said four are manufactured by Chinese companies.

“As a close and friendly neighbor of China, we will (give) the Philippines the priority once we successfully develop our vaccines,” he said.