JAKARTA, March 18 (Xinhua) -- After having assisted some of the countries hardest hit by the COVID-19 including Iran, Iraq and Italy, China said on Tuesday it is also ready to help Indonesia curb the spread of the virus in the archipelagic country.
Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian said in a signed article published on Indonesia's largest daily newspaper Kompas that China has sent COVID-19 testing kits and other materials to a number of countries. The assistance is channelled through the Red Cross, non-government organizations, the business sector and local government channels.
"We are also ready to work with Indonesia and provide as much assistance as possible for Indonesia to deal with this pandemic," he said in the article published on Tuesday.
The data of the Indonesian government released on Wednesday showed the COVID-19 outbreak has claimed 19 lives across the country, and 11 people have recovered from the disease.
The total cases of confirmed COVID-19 in the country has increased to 227.
Ambassador Xiao said that the COVID-19 pandemic has proven that the destinies of all countries in the world are interrelated.
Only with solidarity and cooperation can the world win the battle against this epidemic as soon as possible, he stated.
On March 8, the Chinese government announced to donate 20 million U.S. dollars to the World Health Organization (WHO) in support of developing international cooperation to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
