A freight aircraft loaded with urgently needed medical supplies, worth approximately USD 360,000, donated by the Henan Province of China to its “Air Silk Road” partner Luxembourg, took off in Henan’s capital city Zhengzhou on 22 March, 2020.
According to the World Health Organization, as of 26 March, 1,333 confirmed cases and 8 deaths have been reported in Luxembourg, making it the 14th most affected in the European continent.
These supplies included 4,500 medical protective suits, 500,000 surgical masks, 5,700 N95 masks, 100,000 pairs of medical gloves, 600 forehead thermometers, 20,000 bottles of hand sanitizer, and 1,080 pairs of medical goggles – collectively donated by the Government of Henan Province and state-owned enterprises (SOE) of Henan Province, following a request from the Government of Luxembourg.
Medical supplies donated by Henan (China) were dispatched to Luxembourg from Zhengzhou airport. Image by HNCA
“Friendship has no national boundaries; friendship makes long distance short”, reads the packaging of donations to Luxembourg. Image by HNCA
The supplies were shipped to Luxembourg by Cargolux Airlines International (Cargolux), a cargo airline with its hub at Luxembourg airport, free of any charges, with the assistance of Henan Civil Aviation Development and Investment Co., Ltd (HNCA), a state-owned enterprise based in Zhengzhou.
Henan and Luxembourg unveiled their cooperation in civil aviation in 2014, evidenced by HNCA’s acquisition of 35 per cent of Cargolux’s equity and the launch of the “Air Silk Road” with thousands of Cargolux flights transporting cargo between Henan and Luxembourg over the past six years. This route forms an integral part of China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) and has been a pivotal economic corridor that links China’s emerging markets with developed countries in Europe and the United States., This route has become a “bridge of friendship” connecting countries across the globe to combat the COVID-19 pandemic together.
“When one gives me a quince, I return with a jade,” Quoted the government of Henan from Shi Jing, a compilation of ancient Chinese poetry, to express their solidarity with Luxembourg in the time of COVID-19. Moreover, the government affirmed that the current situation in Luxembourg had deeply concerned the people of Henan. Inthea spirit of solidarity, Henan plans to continue mobilizing and donating medical supplies to support Luxembourg.
Henan Province is a partner of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC). In 2019, under the framework of the BRI, Government of Henan Province, UNOSSC, and the Finance Center for South-South Cooperation (FCSSC) jointly announced the “Air Silk Road South-South Cooperation Partnership Initiative” which aims at facilitating South-South and triangular cooperation among civil aviation hub cities along the silk road to advance sustainable development.
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Henan-donated medical supplies being loaded onto the freight aircraft. Image by HNCA