Ministry flays politicization of epidemic fight

China will oppose some countries' practice of politicizing the fight against the epidemic by distorting facts and shirking responsibility, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

The country is willing to join hands with countries and international organizations to deepen cooperation in epidemic prevention and control, said Gao Feng, spokesperson for the ministry.

Gao said China hopes that the concerned countries and individual politicians will abandon such confrontational thinking and shoulder responsibilities, as well as strengthen cooperation with the international community to jointly overcome the epidemic.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak is challenging the entire mankind, China has been helping nations tackle the spread of the virus by providing the necessary medical supplies, said Gao.

Chinese manufacturers signed purchase contracts for medical goods and materials with 58 countries and regions, as well as four international organizations by Wednesday, according to the commerce ministry. There are 71 countries and 10 international organizations currently negotiating with Chinese companies for purchase of medical supplies.

According to the General Administration of Customs, from March 1 to Saturday, China exported 10.2 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) worth of epidemic prevention and control supplies, including 3.86 billion face masks, 37.52 million units of protective clothing, 2.41 million infrared thermometers, 16,000 ventilators, 2.84 million detection kits, and 8.41 million pairs of protective goggles.

Gao also refuted reports regarding quality issues with medical goods exported from China to some European countries. He said that China had contacted the concerned parties in Europe and conducted quality checks on the domestic producers. He said the reports are not consistent with truth as it is mainly due to differences in manufacturing standards and working environment of products, and some European users are either not familiar with the function of these products or have adopted the wrong application methods.