Cainiao, the logistical branch of Chinese e-trade giant Alibaba, has launched an appeal for donations of protective equipment for hospitals in Hubei, the Chinese province worst affected by the Coronavirus.
Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI), Wallonie-Belgique Tourisme, Wallonia’s export and foreign investment agency, AWEX, and Liège Airport, where Cainiao operates flights to China, have now decided to relay the appeal, made at the weekend.
Wallonia and Hubei, which is now in the throes of an unprecented health crisis, have been twinned since 2012 and are linked by many economic, social and cultural projects, the signatories of the appeal recalled in a letter they sent to their partners, including the head of WBI and Awex, Pascale Delcomminette, and Liège Airport CEO Luc Partoune.
The initiative is supported by the Walloon Government and the Embassy of China in Brussels.
The Hubei Charity Federation and the Chinese Red Cross are looking for specific protective equipment for hospitals in the province, and its main city, Wuhan. Masks, clothing and protective goggles are the main items sought in the appeal launched at the weekend on their behalf by Cainiao.
To organise the transport of the material, which will be done by safe medical transport, donors first need to contact AWEX or Liège Airport. All transport and customs formalities in Belgium and China will be taken care of by Cainiao’s teams and the official Chinese authorities, Cainiao said.
The Brussels Times
