Cyprus gave firm support to China in its all-out fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, and now China was ready to provide heart-felt assistance to the Cypriot people, said Chinese Ambassador to Cyprus Huang Xingyuan in an exclusive interview with China.org.cn on March 29.

As of Tuesday, Cyprus had registered 230 confirmed cases, with seven deaths, an interactive map from Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) shows. 

"Cyprus was the last of the EU countries to declare a novel coronavirus infection," said Huang. 

On March 23, the government of Cyprus announced a lockdown on the island until April 13 to fight the spread of coronavirus, saying the movement of people was banned unless for absolutely necessary.

"Cyprus gave firm support when China was engaged in its all-out fight against the epidemic, and China has taken this to heart and is ready to provide assistance to people of Cyprus with all our efforts," Huang said, "The Chinese Embassy has been sharing protocols for diagnosis and treatment with the Cypriot government."

On March 19, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Health Commission shared China's experience through a video conference in terms of epidemiological characteristics, prevention and control strategies, and clinical diagnosis and treatment with government officials and medical and epidemic prevention experts from 18 European countries including Cyprus, and also took more than 80 questions. 

Chinese medical supplies have also been sent to Cyprus, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the country.

"Happy to announce that the first batch of China-donated medical supplies has reached Cyprus, including 5,000 KN95 masks, 5,000 medical masks and 1,320 protective uniforms," Huang told Xinhua on Tuesday, adding that the second batch is ready in China to be picked up by a Cyprus chartered flight. 

Recently, some elements in the United States have been deliberately blaming the epidemic on China and trying to stigmatize Chinese efforts in an attempt to shirk their own responsibility. 

"In my opinion, pride and prejudice are also a kind of virus. The World Health Organization and the international community have shown they are clearly opposed to linking the virus to a specific country, area or race. So, any attempt to stigmatize the virus should be rejected," Huang said. 

"With the accelerating spread of the global epidemic, countries around the world should work together to overcome difficulties. Finding a scapegoat and engaging in political manipulation will not help the U.S. to overcome the epidemic, nor will it contribute to the international cooperation in fighting the epidemic," the ambassador said. 

"I agree with renowned Chinese respiratory specialist Zhong Nanshan's opinion that we need greater international cooperation. This is a human disease, not a national one," Huang said. 

"Tackling the emergence of the global coronavirus pandemic is a long and complex task. The economic impact is not to be underestimated. The risk of the global shutdown for the coronavirus cannot be ignored. So, it reminds people of the necessity and urgency to build a community with a shared future for humanity," the ambassador concluded.