By Li Chun

BEIJING, Mar. 3 -- At the Press Conference of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council held on March 2, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, Director General of the Information Office of China's Ministry of National Defense (MND) and Spokesperson for the MND, said that a number of foreign defense departments and armed forces have expressed deep concern and made donations to China.

Wu mentioned that as of February 29, leaders of defense departments and armed forces from Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, East Timor, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Singapore, Indonesia, Iran, Tanzania, Serbia, the US and New Zealand have sent statements of sympathy to China.

The defense ministries and armed forces of Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Singapore, Mongolia, Trinidad, Tobago and other countries have donated money and materials to China.

Countries such as Pakistan, Belarus, and Turkey have specially dispatched military aircraft to deliver aid to China, including large quantities of medical protective suits, masks, goggles and other medical protective supplies.

There are also some military attachés in China and their group representatives, and international military students praying for China through recording videos, letters of condolence and other forms of blessing.

Wu expressed heartfelt thanks to these countries and armed forces for their help and support. "The Chinese character '人' , which means the people, is in a mutually-supporting structure. There is a Chinese saying that only when the years grow cold do we see that the pine and cypress are the last to fade; only when we get into trouble do we know who our genuine friends are."

He pointed out that the Chinese military will actively carry out international military cooperation and work with the militaries of other countries to fight against public security threats including the COVID-19 outbreaks.