Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian (second right) attends a delivery ceremony held for donations to the Indonesia army by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense at the Jakarta airport on May 12, 2020. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

By sharing medical expertise and donating supplies, the Chinese military stands on the front line helping neighboring countries fight COVID-19.

According to the Chinese embassy in Indonesia, medical supplies donated by China’s Ministry of National Defense were handed over to the Indonesian Defense Ministry on the afternoon of May 12 in a ceremony at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto said the medical supplies delivered by China’s military aircraft showcased the two countries’ close relations

It was the second batch of medical assistance provided by China to Indonesia, after the first batch was donated in late March.

Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto said the medical supplies delivered by China’s military aircraft showcased the two countries’ close relations. 

The Indonesian side is confident of jointly winning the battle against the epidemic in cooperation with China, said Prabowo, adding that he looked forward to joining hands with the Chinese side to promote regional peace, stability and prosperity. 

The donations from China’s defense ministry are significant to Indonesia as the country is in a difficult time in its fight against COVID-19, said Veronika S. Saraswati, head of the China Study Unit at Jakarta-based think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

A ceremony at the Manila airport is held for donations  to the Philippines army by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense late at night of May 12, 2020. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

“The support (from China) is very meaningful,” Saraswati said.

On May 13, with 689 new COVID-19 infections, Indonesia saw the highest single-day increase since the outbreak in the country began, bringing the total to 15,438 cases, according to Xinhua News Agency.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Indonesia, and Saraswati told China Daily that the cooperation and mutual assistance between the two countries will help further deepen their bilateral ties.

The donation to Indonesia is among many that the Chinese military has made to countries in need. Late at night on May 12, a batch of COVID-19 medical supplies donated by the ministry was handed over to the Philippines.

The donation included over 80,000 pieces of surgical masks, protective suits and protective goggles, according to the Chinese embassy in the Philippines. 

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian said that in the anti-pandemic cooperation between the two countries, both sides’ armed forces have shown a valuable spirit of mutual support and assistance.

Huang said Philippine military aircraft shuttled between the two countries almost every day recently to bring back medical supplies purchased by the Philippine government from China.

Meanwhile, China also swiftly issued a special permit and sent a navy ship to escort a Philippine navy vessel that traveled to East China’s Fujian province to ship back medical supplies, Huang said.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he appreciated China’s support to facilitate the Philippine military aircraft and navy vessel to bring back the much-needed medical supplies from China. 

Lorenzana said he was pleased to see both military sides playing an active role in the fight against COVID-19, which will contribute to deepening mutual understanding and trust.

Also on May 12, after completing its mission, a PLA medical expert team left Yangon, Myanmar. The team had arrived in Myanmar on April 24 with medical supplies donated by China, including masks and laboratory equipment, according to the Chinese embassy in Myanmar.

Despite the scorching heat, the Chinese team conducted deep communication with Myanmar military medics on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention and control of COVID-19. They also made great efforts in helping the Myanmar military improve its ability in COVID-19 testing, drafting a manual for diagnosis and epidemic control, as well as training frontline medical personnel.

Myanmar highly appreciates and sincerely thanks China for effectively curbing the spread of the epidemic to its neighboring regions, said Myanmar’s Defense Minister Sein Win

According to Xinhua, the Chinese military medics also helped set up a laboratory at Myanmar’s No 1 Defence Services General Hospital in Mingaladon township, Yangon, by providing technical assistance and training. With the new laboratory, Yangon now has three COVID-19 testing laboratories.

Xinhua quoted Captain Nay Myo Aung, a microbiologist who will work at the military's laboratory, as saying: "The assistance from the Chinese military medical team is quite helpful and the equipment provided by the team such as automatic extraction machines are effective for laboratory works as those machines can minimize the direct exposure with the virus."

Myanmar highly appreciates and sincerely thanks China for effectively curbing the spread of the epidemic to its neighboring regions, said Myanmar’s Defense Minister Sein Win, in a phone conversation in April with Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe.

Sein Win, as quoted by Xinhua, said Myanmar is willing to continue its communication with China and further strengthen cooperation in epidemic prevention and control.

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This also is not the first time that China has helped Myanmar fight against the virus through expertise sharing. A team of 12 Chinese medical experts from Southwest China’s Yunnan province was sent to Myanmar on April 8 as the first batch of medical assistance from China, according to Xinhua. 

Similarly, in Pakistan, after sending a team of military medical experts in April to help the South Asian country, the PLA on May 12 sent a second batch of much-needed medical supplies for epidemic prevention and control at the request of the Pakistani military. 

The Chinese military had sent three flights to Pakistan on April 24 and 25 to provide the first batch of medical supplies.

“The Philippines needs all the help that it can get at this moment. This help from China is much appreciated as we really need more medical supplies,” said Aaron Jed Rabena, a research fellow at Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress, a Manila-based foreign policy think tank.

“This is not just China's medical diplomacy but also an exercise of military diplomacy as the donation came from the Ministry of Defense,” Rabena told China Daily. 

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Saraswati at the CSIS said solidarity is the key message she takes from China’s donations and assistance to other countries.

“Solidarity between countries is very important,” she said. “The pandemic will be easier to tackle though cooperation (rather) than conflicts.” 

Additional reporting by PRIME SARMIENTO