China on Tuesday said it was encouraging private companies to actively participate in India’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and that air and sea freight channels between the two countries remained unimpeded despite the suspension of cargo flights by state-owned Sichuan Airlines.
Beijing intensified its outreach to the region in the form of a meeting which foreign minister Wang Yi held with his counterparts from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The meeting saw China offering more vaccines to these countries.
The Chinese embassy in India said China would “encourage and guide Chinese companies to actively participate in facilitating various medical supplies for India.”
“Suspension of certain commercial cargo flights is a normal business decision. Air and sea freight channels are unimpeded,” the embassy spokesperson said while mentioning media reports that a Chinese company had received an order for 18,000 oxygen concentrators.
