Tanzania: We Are Standing By You, Tz Tells China

TANZANIA has vowed to stand firmly with China in this difficult time of coronavirus outbreak which has already killed dozens of

Chinese.

On behalf of Tanzania's government, Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Minister Palamagamba Kabudi stated: "As comrades in solidarity and brothers, Tanzania stands firmly with China in this time of difficulty."

Prof Kabudi also conveyed sympathies to China over the novel coronavirus outbreak when speaking to China's State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in a telephone conversation on Tuesday this week.

In a statement posted on the website of China's Foreign Affairs Ministry, Prof Kabudi appreciated China's efforts to care for its nationals living in China, and shared the WHO assessment that China's response had helped to curb the spread of the virus to other parts of the world.

"Tanzania is confident that China will win the battle against the epidemic at an early date," Prof Kabudi expressed assurance.

Speaking on behalf of Africa at the 146th session of the WHO Executive Board, Prof Kabudi spoke highly of China's prompt and adequate response.

He said the crisis would have been worse had it not been for the strict and timely measures taken by China. He also assured China of Africa's continued cooperation and solidarity.

State Councillor Wang thanked his counterpart for offering sympathies and support.

He commended Tanzania as a good and trustworthy friend, and hailed the friendship between the two countries as one that has withstood the vicissitudes of the world.

He said in the face of the epidemic, the Chinese people were acting as one and various measures were falling into place.

"These efforts have brought encouraging news: cured cases have exceeded fatal ones by a significant margin, and the increase of suspected cases is slowing down. We will definitely win this battle," he said.

Wang stressed that the WHO Director-General had commended China's containment measures on multiple occasions, expressed his confidence in China to prevail over the epidemic and praised China for setting a new standard for epidemic response.

Wang noted that by caring for the life and health of every Chinese, China was also contributing to global public health.

The number of infected cases outside China is hardly one per cent of that in China, which proves the effectiveness of China's response in curbing the spread of the epidemic further afield.

"China stands ready to increase information sharing with other countries in the spirit of openness and transparency and seek closer health cooperation with Tanzania and other African countries," he stated.