China sends team of medical experts, aid to Iran to help deal with outbreak

While Iran is experiencing a spreading epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus, China has offered a helping hand by sending expert teams, sharing its experiences and supplying aid.

The expert team sent by the Red Cross Society of China to Iran met with the Iranian Red Crescent Society on Monday to discuss prevention and control of COVID-19 in the country, according to the latest release from the Chinese Embassy in Iran.

Accompanied by Chang Hua, Chinese ambassador to Iran, the experts met with Mahmoud Reza Piravi, secretary-general of the Iranian Red Crescent Society and other officials at the society, the embassy said on its website.

China shares similar feelings as the novel coronavirus epidemic is getting more serious in Iran, and China believes Iran can conquer the epidemic with concerted efforts by the Iranian government and its people, Chang said.

The first batch of medical supply aid from Iran to China was provided by the Iranian Red Crescent Society and China provided its first batch of medical supplies and sent experts to Iran to support its fight against the epidemic, he said.

China's experience in fighting the epidemic is very valuable and Iran hopes to strengthen communication with China to tackle the challenges together, Piravi said.

Five experts sent by the Red Cross Society of China arrived in Tehran on Saturday, bringing part of China's medical supply aid to Iran, according to the embassy.

Ma Xuejun, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, is one of the experts sent to Iran to help the country conduct laboratory testing of the novel coronavirus, the center said on Monday in a media release.

He also will provide technical support to Iran in judging the epidemic situation and offer China's experience and strategies in epidemic prevention and control to health departments in Iran to contain the spread of the epidemic globally and to China, the center said in a press release.

Sixty-six people have died and more than 1,500 people have been infected by the novel coronavirus in Iran, local health authorities said on Monday.

The Iranian Embassy in Beijing said on its official Sina Weibo micro blog that Iran is translating China's novel coronavirus treatment plans into Persian versions for its public.

"Just as no difficulty can beat the Chinese people, we believe the Iranian people will not be knocked down by any difficulty," it said.