Defence ministry officials receive medical supplies provided by China on Tuesday. Heng Chivoan
The Chinese Ministry of National Defence has provided medical equipment to its Cambodian counterpart to be used to test samples for Covid-19.
The donations included Covid-19 testing equipment, vaccination supplies and two types of Chinese medicines.
Speaking during a handover ceremony at the Phnom Penh International Airport on November 23, Minister of National Defence Tea Banh said the testing equipment was an important contribution to the campaign to fight the spread of Covid-19 in Cambodia and that it was done in the spirit of friendship and solidarity.
“Good friends help each other in times of emergency and our Chinese friends always support the Cambodian army during its hardships unconditionally and in the traditional spirit of friendship to strengthen and deepen our relations in all areas,” he said.
“These medical supplies from the Chinese defence ministry come in addition to the Covid-19 vaccines they have sent and their medical experts who shared their experience and knowledge with us in our cooperative efforts to fight this disease. These donations contribute to the implementation of our core strategies that are the keys to protecting public health and saving the lives of Cambodians,” Tea Banh said.
The assistance will further enhance the capacity of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) to improve its technical skills with testing for the coronavirus, he said.
The minister confirmed that the success of the national vaccination campaign showed that the RCAF could contribute significantly to the welfare of the nation even in the peaceful era now being enjoyed by the Kingdom.
Chinese ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian has stated that the Cambodian and Chinese armies are like brothers with a friendship forged from steel and are as indispensible to the two nations and each other as hands and feet are to the human body.
“In recent years, the government under the direct leadership and full support of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Hun Sen has strengthened the two armies’ cooperative efforts and taken steps toward improvement in all areas,” Wang said.
He added that after the outbreak of Covid-19, the people and armies of the two countries have always helped each other with donated medicines and that this cooperation not only forms a model relationship for international military cooperation but also contributes significantly to the building of a Cambodia-China community of common destiny.
