Chongqing- Cecille Elbeleidi, the Consul General of the British Consulate-General in Chongqing, sent her greetings to all residents in Chongqing. “China and the UK are experiencing a challenging time in fighting the new coronavirus. It is reassuring to know that Chongqing government has kept the public well informed of the situation and developments in a timely and open manner and has taken several steps to try to control the spread of the virus”, she said.

On Feb.7 2020, The British government arranged a plane to Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, bringing British medical aid to Wuhan, including 50,000 pairs of medical gloves and 35,000 sets of medical protective clothing and goggles. The flight also brought 83 British citizens and 41 foreigners back to the U.K. In short, the British Foreign Office is also coordinating and arranging a second charter flight to Wuhan to help the British stranded in Hubei.

Donations from the U.K., picture by British Consulate-General in Chongqing

According to the British Consulate General in Chongqing, the pneumonia epidemic of COVID-19 infection is a problem that the world now facing, and the UK is increasing its support for the global fight against it. According to the data updates, as of February 17, donations from British-funded enterprises have reached more than 115.75 million yuan.

British Medical Research Council, a component of the National Agency for Research and Innovation, announced on Feb. 4 that it will allocate £ 20 million to invite British researchers to work with other international partners, including China, in vaccine development, therapy, diagnosis and research proposals for infectious diseases, virus transmission, and basic knowledge.

Prior to this, the UK Health Minister announced an additional £ 20 million to fund vaccine development, including a vaccine against the COVID-19.

“As China's long-term partners in tackling global challenges and important research areas, these new initiatives will support already ongoing research projects, including the 30 million yuan research project announced by the National Natural Science Foundation of China this week”, demonstrated from British Consulate General in Chongqing’s information.