Beijing donates masks and offers assistance to Italy and Spain as it aims to deflect criticism of its initial attempts to cover up the virus outbreak
With millions of face masks, low-interest loans and teams of medical experts, China is trying to paint itself as a Good Samaritan while deflecting criticism over its initial missteps in handling the coronavirus.In recent weeks, it has also donated hundreds of thousands of surgical masks and test kits to the Philippines and Pakistan, sent teams of medics to Iran and Iraq, and extended a $500m loan to help Sri Lanka combat the virus.
President Xi Jinping pledged assistance to hardest-hit Italy and Spain in phone calls with their prime ministers, the official Xinhua news agency reported. It comes as Beijing and Washington are engaged in a tit-for-tat public opinion war over China's recent mass expulsion of US journalists and President Donald Trump’s continued use of the phrase “Chinese virus” to describe the coronavirus.
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