China News Service, March 30th. According to the news from the website of the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands on the 30th, Xu Hong, Chinese ambassador to the Netherlands, answered reporters' questions on Dutch media's report on the quality of masks.
Website screenshot
The following is the full text of the Q & A:
Question: On March 28, some Dutch media reported that more than 600,000 masks purchased by the Netherlands from China had quality problems and were all recalled by the Ministry of Health. What's your comment on this?
Xu Hong: Since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia, China and the Netherlands have maintained close communication and good cooperation in fighting the epidemic. For more than a month, with the development of the Dutch epidemic, China has been committed to providing assistance to the Netherlands as much as it can. The embassy paid great attention to media reports on the quality of a batch of masks purchased by the Netherlands from China on March 28, and contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Health of the Netherlands to verify the situation. On the 29th, I personally spoke with Dutch Minister of Medical Care Van Ryan. Minister Van Lain said that he sincerely thanked the Chinese side for its strong support and help in the Netherlands' fight against the epidemic. Regarding the problem that some masks purchased by the Netherlands from China are not suitable for the medical staff of the intensive care unit, the Netherlands is further clarifying the situation and no results To inform the Chinese side as soon as possible. It is hoped that this isolated incident will not affect the friendly cooperation between the two countries in the field of fighting the epidemic. I thank Minister Van Laine for reporting this information.
I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize once again that the virus knows no borders, and only by strengthening solidarity and mutual assistance can the international community overcome the epidemic. The purpose of China in supporting countries including the Netherlands to fight the epidemic is very simple. It is to strive to save more lives. There is no "geopolitical consideration" as some people call it. It is normal that even if some problems arise during the cooperation process, they can be solved practically and should not be interpreted politically. We look forward to the results of further investigations on the quality of masks in the Netherlands. If necessary, China will assist in the investigation in accordance with the principles of objectivity and fairness. China will continue to fully support the Netherlands' efforts to fight the epidemic and work together to defeat the common enemy of the virus.