Coronavirus: China’s Huawei helps provide face masks to Lithuania, where it’s eyed 5G
- Chinese tech giant Huawei joins global effort to fight coronavirus pandemic
- Lithuanian government buys respirators and millions of masks from China
Chinese tech giant Huawei has partnered with other companies to provide 20,000 protective masks and 120,000 pairs of gloves to Lithuania to help the largest Baltic country combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
The aid was donated this month by both Huawei and Bite, a major Lithuanian communications company, and was transported free of charge by KlasJet, a charter airline that is part of Lithuanian-owned Avia Solutions Group.
“The shipment was organised in a record-short time in collaboration with our partners in Lithuania and China … It is crucial as Lithuanian medics are short so far of protective single-use gloves and masks. The Lithuanian health ministry will distribute the aid to the most needed,” Mindaugas Plukys, a Huawei spokesman in the Baltics, said.
Similar aid was also being offered to neighbouring Latvia and Estonia, he said.
The quantity of masks is relatively small for Lithuania, a country of 2.8 million people. However the donation shows how a major Chinese tech business and its connections can source much needed protective gear amid a global mask shortage.
Huawei is one of several technology giants helping fight the pandemic including Facebook, Microsoft and Apple which said it would donate “millions” of masks to the United States and Europe.
Lithuania’s Ministry of Transport and Communications said Huawei had expressed interest in its 5G network. The defence ministry said it was “reviewing” all proposals.
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Huawei has repeatedly denied US allegations that is closely linked to Beijing and its equipment could be used by China to spy.
In February, Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Service labelled China a threat to its national security. Last year, Lithuania’s intelligence agency added a China section to its annual national threat assessment report, saying that Chinese intelligence services had expanded their interest in the country.
At the time, the Chinese embassy in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, rejected the “unfounded” claims.
Still, the Huawei aid package does come at a critical moment in this global health crisis. Almost 32,000 deaths have been recorded since the virus was first detected in China in December. More than 663,000 declared cases have been registered in 175 countries and territories.
“It is infecting the entire world,” said Haonan Wang, chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce (CCC).
“Our situation is now more stable and turning for the better, although we suffered a lot of pain in late January and February. It feels good that we can help others who are in need for aid now,” Wang said, referring to mainland China where 3,300 have died from Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
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Mainland China was the hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak before Europe became the new epicentre where the death toll has soared, particularly in hard-hit Italy and Spain.
The three Baltic states are facing an exponential rise of new coronavirus cases. As of Sunday, there were 679 confirmed coronavirus cases in Estonia, 347 in Latvia and 437 cases in Lithuania.
The Chinese embassy in Lithuania called the action of Huawei and Bite a “great example” of international solidarity.
“The Chinese embassy encourages more Chinese business companies, including the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Lithuania, to continue their efforts in supporting the prevention and control of Covid-19 in Lithuania and make further contributions,” said Sun Yanjing, from the embassy’s political section.
Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
China has also sent medical teams to help other countries hit hard by the virus. Last month, Beijing sent medical workers to Iran, the worst-affected country in the Middle East, along with a shipment of supplies. It has also sent a team to Cambodia.
Lithuanian businesses meanwhile are importing more protective masks from China. Eugenijus Mikalauskas, CEO of Plastic Pack, a Lithuanian plastic product supplier, said they were arranging air delivery of several hundred thousand masks from China. Once delivered, the masks would be available in pharmacies for about 50 euro cents and respirators for €4-€5, he said.
The Lithuanian government is buying almost 1.8 million respirators and 5.7 million disposable masks from China, with the shipment expected to arrive within weeks.
“This is the largest quantity Lithuania has ever had … this quantity will be enough to also provide respirators to health workers who are not dealing directly with infected or suspected patients,” Lithuania’s Health Minister Aurelijus Veryga said.
The contract with China also includes 810,000 safety glasses, 1.8 million disposable caps, 1.8 million disposable gowns, 1 million disposable overalls, 15 million disposable gloves, and 3.6 million disposable shoe covers.
